Chinese Organized Crime in Latin America

Chinese Organized Crime in Latin America by R. Evan Ellis, National Defense University, PRISM.

This study focuses on organized crime ties between China and Latin America associated with expanding commercial and human contact between the PRC and the region. A review of open source data and interviews with subject matter experts in Latin America find evidence of such ties in four areas: (1) extortion of Chinese communities in Latin America by groups with ties to China, (2) trafficking in persons from China through Latin America to ultimately smuggle Chinese expatriates into the United States or Canada, (3) trafficking in narcotics and precursor chemicals, and (4) trafficking in contraband goods. It also finds evidence of modest levels of activities that could become significant in two other areas, arms trafficking and money laundering.