Gangster Warlords: Drug Dollars, Killing Fields, and the New Politics of Latin America

Journalist Grillo (El Narco) defines gangster warlords as supervillains running drug rackets who also command militias to rule their spheres of operation in a mixture of crime and war. The violence of these newer crime groups of the Americas is staggering, with over one million murders between 2000 and 2010. Grillo traveled extensively to interview hundreds of people for their stories as he searched for structural and political causes that result in bloodshed. He offers testimonies on four criminal organizations: the Red Commando in Brazil, the Shower Posse in Jamaica, Central America's Mara Salvatrucha, and Mexico's Knights Templar. Grillo's theories emerge through narratives that include gangs, religious cults, and urban guerrillas. Possible resolutions are considered—reform drug policy (e.g., legalize marijuana, provide addiction treatment), build justice systems (effective courts, for example), transform ghettos (build roads, open schools, educate the young).