| Abstract: | The longstanding institutional weaknesses of most states in Latin America and the Caribbean, in combination with the existence of a highly lucrative underground drug trade in the Western hemisphere, make the countries in that corner of the world system not only especially prone to indigenous organised crime, but also attractive targets for transnational criminal enterprises. In most of the region, the dynamics of globalisation over the last two decades have resulted in almost ideal conditions for the rapid penetration and spread of transnational organised crime. Thus, as well as considering the overall situation in Latin America and the Caribbean, this article will particularly consider the scope and impact of the post-Cold War wave of Russian transnational organised crime to illustrate this phenomenon. |
