Gangster Warlords: Drug Dollars, Killing Fields, and the New Politics of Latin America

Investigative journalist Grillo (El Narco) presents a comprehensive, if grim, look at four major organized crime groups— Mexico’s Knights Templar, Central America’s Mara Salvatrucha, Jamaica’s Shower Posse, and Brazil’s Red Commando—and the men who run them. Few readers will be familiar with the cartels, despite the international scope of their reach and the bloody toll of their violence, which makes this account all the more shocking. Grillo describes the leaders as “a weird hybrid of criminal CEO, gangster rock star, and paramilitary general” and enlivens his characterizations with horrifying statistics: for example, between 2007 and 2014, more than 80,000 people were killed in Mexico by drug cartels and the police forces opposing them. Historical context, such as a survey of Jamaican political and criminal history in the last 50 years, gives depth to the narrative. Sadly, the logical solutions Grillo offers on drug policy reform, including “a huge overhaul in the police and justice systems” in Latin America, are not likely to be implemented anytime soon, so his attempt to end this otherwise harrowing account on hopeful note seems contrived. [em](Jan.) [/em]