Transnational Criminal Network as a Factor of Internal Political Destabilization in the Form of Criminal Insurgency (Examples of Colombia, Mexico, and Ecuador)

The article examines the problem of the emergence of a criminal insurgency in a single country, the factor of which is the integration of local gangs into a transnational criminal network, created by highly developed gangs and cartels in countries where criminal insurgencies already take place. The process of the insurgency emergence is shown using the example of the involvement of Ecuadorian gangs in a transnational criminal network by criminal groups from Colombia and Mexico. The author assumes that the situation in these countries corresponds to the signs of an internal armed conflict. The aim of this paper is to show how highly developed criminal organizations involved in criminal insurgencies in Colombia and Mexico act as a factor of internal political destabilization in Ecuador in the form of criminal insurgency through the involvement of Ecuadorian gangs in a transnational criminal network. The research question is formulated as follows: why does the involvement of criminal organizations in transnational criminal networks contribute to the internal political destabilization of the state in the form of a criminal insurgency in the territory in which these groups appeared? The methodology of the study is based on the concept of criminal insurgency, according to which developed criminal organizations are considered as de facto political actors primarily due to their ability to establish territorial control and thereby challenge the state's monopoly on the legitimate use of force, creating a direct threat to its territorial integrity and sovereignty. The study also uses the concept of «three-generation gangs» and social network analysis. A network of Colombian, Mexican, and Ecuadorian criminal organizations is identified, network metrics are determined. One subnetwork is detected. It is shown that the emergence of criminal insurgencies in Mexico and Colombia contributed to the emergence of criminal insurgency in Ecuador. It is concluded that social network analysis as applied to criminal networks can help identify the vulnerabilities of criminal networks and develop effective strategies to counter them. To improve the effectiveness of the fight against criminal networks special attention should be paid to neutralizing fixers between the groups included in these networks.

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