Mexico Leads the World in Financial Crime, Report Finds

Mexico has emerged as a leader in financial crime, with its criminal markets penetrating the mainstream economy at an alarming rate, according to a recent report by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC).

The Report’s Findings

• Mexico ranked third overall in terms of criminal activity, behind only Myanmar and Colombia.
• Within the “criminal markets” sub-index, Mexico took the top spot, driven primarily by:
  • High incidence of illegal protection rackets
  • Human trafficking
  • Cocaine and synthetic drug trade

Trends and Concerns

• The report’s authors note that trends are particularly concerning, with two major areas of violence on the rise:
  • Protection money demands through extortion rackets
  • Criminalization of strong industries such as agriculture
• Romain Le Cour Grandmaison, a research specialist and one of the report’s authors, describes the situation as “very worrying.”
• Transport workers, who have been targets of organized crime in recent years, are among those most affected by these trends.

Synthetic Drug Trade and Illegal Arms Trade

• Mexico is also a major player in the synthetic drug trade, with an increase in the production and popularity of drugs such as:
  • Ketamine
  • Methamphetamine
  • Fentanyl
• The country’s proximity to the US has allowed it to become a significant hub for the illegal arms trade.
• Guns used in organized crime in Mexico often originate from the US, accounting for between 70% and 90% of weapons seized at crime scenes.

Call to Action

• The GI-TOC report calls on countries to prioritize financial crimes, which facilitate other types of criminal activity.
• The organization emphasizes that organized crime is a global problem, posing a danger to both developed and developing countries and presenting an obstacle to international cooperation in the face of growing political, social, and economic inequalities.