Transnational Crime; a National Security Threat

1. Problem

Transnational criminal networks are comprised of drug cartels, human-trafficking rings, money-laundering enterprises, arms traffickers, and sophisticated cybercriminal groups.  These organizations have grown in scale, lethality, and operational sophistication.

Their activities directly threaten North American national security by:

1.    Degrading partner-state governance (notably Mexico and parts of Central America)

2.    Fueling mass overdose deaths (synthetic opioids), enabling illicit finance.

3.    Degrading border integrity

4.    Creating vectors (maritime, land, cyber) that adversaries could exploit for hybrid operations.

The problem now sits at the intersection of law enforcement, homeland security, and defense.

2. Analysis

Criminal organizations have become significantly more sophisticated in recent years, major cartels in Northern Mexico field heavy weapons and tactical drones, they use encrypted comms and have organizational structures that rival the state forces that counter their activities in contested areas.  The cartels have transitioned their opioid distribution networks and cross border trafficking into commercialized, high-margin enterprises.  They have expanded their operations to include cybercrime which includes ransomware as a service and crypto-enabled money laundering which generates cross cutting revenue streams.  The cartels are no longer regional threats; they leverage globalized supply chains that facilitate flow through international nodes through which they can create chokepoints.  This creates vulnerabilities which adversaries and larger state actors can use to weaponize illicit flows into North America.  Cartel activity destabilizes the US Southern border creating a major infiltration risk associated with mass migration.  Finally, the scale of inbound opioids such as fentanyl has created a public health shock to the nation resulting in over 100,000 deaths in 2023.  This perfect storm of criminal enterprise activity has reached such a level of sophistication and scale that US military intervention is now required to augment law enforcement.  Law enforcement lacks the intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and operational support that US military capability brings to the fight.    

3. Recommendations

This problem should be addressed as the national security threat that it is, regional law enforcement or DHS style approaches are insufficient. This military operation should be structured in three layers; Strategic, Operational and Tactical. 

Strategic

Within the strategic layer, an important policy action is to classify transnational crime in North America as a national security threat and elevate as a national security priority.  Formalization of a partnership between the US, Canada and Mexico would be a logical next step in order to validate commitments, allocate resources and reduce safe havens for the defense of North America.  This partnership is notionally represented as the North American Defense Coalition or NADC, in a fictional series of writings and videos published on this website. 

NADC Command Structure

This notional organization chronicles an alliance between North American nations to defend the homeland. A series of fictional writings and videos available on this website portray the alliance through a series of engagements with a fictional Violent Extremist Organization.

Also at the strategic level of intervention is the targeting of cartel finance and global supply chains.  The US Department of Treasury should greatly expand sanctions directed at major cartels operating with impunity.  Working with the FBI, the Treasury should also lead an anti-money laundering campaign to target all aspects of complicit financial entities and third parties that support cartel finance networks.  The Bureau of Industry and Security should target cartel operation supply chains by denying all imports associated with cartel networks, hardening export controls is vital to limit cartel supply chain freedom of movement.

Operational

Establish a persistent ISR layer above what is currently being executed under the DHS.  This means tasking satellite and airborne platforms such as the MQ-9 along with maritime surveillance platforms which should focus on smuggling routes and known coastal hubs for cartels.  Electronic warfare and jamming should be focused and coordinated to deny encrypted comms used by cartels for trafficking.  Establish a joint fusion cell at EPIC for multiple functions but primarily to disrupt cartel cyber infrastructures and analyze technical intercepts for pattern of life analyses.

Revitalize partnerships with Mexican forces and train/equip Mexican forces to degrade cartel reach in border regions.  Embedded advisors from SOCOM and forensic assistance from the FBI should be provided in border regions to enable Mexican apprehensions and prosecutions under the Mexican judicial system.

Build a maritime task force comprised of US, Canadian and Mexican maritime forces to detect, interdict and prosecute drug and weapons shipments.  Enable legal channels for the cross-border evidence collection, enforcement and extraditions that will be needed to fully execute.

Tactical

Bring military grade C-UAS capabilities to the ports of entry and littoral zones to counter cartel drone logistics.  US Navy patrols of littoral areas will enable these capabilities while enhancing the operational reach of existing USCG operations.  Concurrently active-duty Army under Title 10 U.S.C. §284 augment Title 32 US National Guard troops through a technology MOU that provides additional sensor technologies to National Guard troops working at the border.  The MOU is to remain compliant with the Posse Comitatus Act.

Deploy advisors to Mexico from the US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) to provide capacity building through advising and training.  The advising/training program should be focused on helping Mexican security forces improve ISR exploitation, interdictions, forensics, prosecutions, border management and judicial process.

Closing statement

Transnational crime is a hybrid security threat that requires a whole-of-government, multinational approach that includes DoD to enhance capabilities (ISR, interdiction, operational support) along with law enforcement, to include financial tools and supply chain interventions. Treating it as merely a policing problem will leave strategic vulnerabilities which poses a continued threat to national security.  A calibrated, integrated campaign — prioritized along the strategic/operational/tactical lines will best protect North American security and resilience.

DoD Guidance

DoDI 3000.14 – DoD Counterdrug and Counter-Transnational Organized Crime Policy (2020)

Purpose

• Establishes DoD policy, responsibilities, and procedures for DoD activities to counter illicit drug trafficking and transnational organized crime (TOC).

• Provides guidance under 10 U.S.C. § 284, which authorizes DoD to support federal, state, local, tribal, and certain foreign law enforcement agencies in counterdrug and CTOC operations.

Scope

• Applies to all DoD components (Military Departments, Combatant Commands, Defense Agencies).

• Covers support to domestic agencies (DHS, DEA, FBI, CBP, Coast Guard) and international partners.