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Masters: INT521-Advanced Intelligence Collection (July2021)



PLO4: Collaboration, INT521: Advanced Intelligence Collection- Counternarcotics

Counternarcotics: How Can We Better Track Drug Cartels

Rachael Riggs

National American University

Henley-Putnam

INT521: Advanced Intelligence Collection

Bruce Guggenberger

June 2021

Counternarcotics: How Can we Better Track Drug Cartels

Introduction

Drug cartels also known as transnational criminal organizations are the largest threat to counternarcotics. These criminal organizations are the main source of drug trafficking, and this source begins the entire cycle off all national and international drug related issues. The biggest issues involving drug trafficking operations is the financial aspect, including the associated money laundering.

Money associated with drug trafficking has many negative implications. Cartels and crime families, notoriously buy their way up through corrupt governments, purchase land, buildings, even sports teams (Dudley, 2016)and their own jails. (Dimuro, 2019) The purchases made help guarantee their operations continue to run and the people involved stay out of exposure.

Money laundering is necessary for drug organizations to safeguard their profits and avoid seizure of such assets. These cartels aim to make their money appear as though it has come from a legal source. (UNODC Research, 2021) According to a 2005 article from the Institute for Policy Studies they estimated the illicit drug trade to be worth “$400 billion a year, or 8% of all international trade.” (Ehlers & Zagaris, 2005)

The challenge for counternarcotics resides in having the ability to follow the financial path. Having the ability to watch the money as it transfers hands and see where and to whom the money travels will provide enormous benefits. The ability to monitor and track all related “drug money” will give agencies the ability to make arrests, realize who is involved and their involvement, and potentially bring down entire empires. (Office of National Drug Control Policy, 2011)

Priority Intelligence Requirements

(UNODC, 2011) (Hanlon, 2004)

  1. 1. How can we track money transfers from the sales of narcotics, nationally and internationally?
  2. 2. How can a cryptocurrency work to leave a narcotics financial trail?

The FBI has proved phenomenal results with the phone app ANOM. (Hymes, Clare w/ CBS, 2021) Using the same strategy, but with a financial app such as that of cryptocurrency or cryptocurrency device, counternarcotics will witness an enhanced ability to monitor the flow of money from the profits of narcotics. With the current trend of the reduction in the use of cash, criminals will need to find alternative ways to finance their illicit activities. With the rise of cryptocurrency and slow dissolution of printed money, following these criminal trails becomes easier for counternarcotics agents. The aim of this technology is to monitor the cash flow, understand who is involved and the businesses that are benefiting from the sales of narcotics.

  • Cryptocurrency has seen a trend toward larger international use including criminal use.
  • Technology can assist in tracking criminal groups financial transactions.
  • Money laundering is seen with almost all transnational narcotics sales.

Essential Element of Information

(King, 2018) (Clark, 2017)

  • Ø What drug cartels currently use cryptocurrency?
  • Ø How could criminal groups be convinced to begin using a specific cryptocurrency or app for cryptocurrency exchange?
  • Ø What businesses are financially supported by drug cartels?
  • Ø How could we infiltrate the idea of the cryptocurrency or the app onto the criminal group(s)?
  • Ø Which cartel will be easiest to infiltrate?
  • Ø Which specific person inside that criminal organization will be easiest to execute the ideas onto?
  • · Biographical data on major personalities
  • · Cryptocurrency usage by drug cartels
  • · Business Information and business owner’s biographies of those associated with cartels.
  • · Countries involved and affected by cartels narcotics transactions.
  • · Past performance of related units and organizations
  • · Drug harvesting, processing, and transport
Indicators (FM 34-7)

The Sinaloa Cartel (Insight Crime, 2021) based out of Mexico is the largest drug cartel and the leading organization transporting drugs into the United States. The most influential person of this group is Ismael Zambada García also known as Mayo, he is currently a fugitive wanted by the DEA. (Drug Enforcement Administration, 2021) Infiltrating this cartel is priority. Finding the successful connection into this cartel is key to disbursing the knowledge and application.

Agencies Tasked:

(Homeland Security, 2010) (Vergen, 2020) (The Department of the Treasury, 2021)

  • FBI
  • DEA
  • US Coast Guard
  • Treasury/ IRS
  • DHS
  • DOD
  • NSA
  • CIA
  • NGA (Office of the Director of National Intelligence, 2013)
SIR

(FM 34-7)

  1. A. Obtain and report on the biographical data of the top leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel and their closest affiliates.
  2. B. Report on the usage of cryptocurrency within the cartel
  3. C. Report on money transfers through businesses associated with this cartel
  4. D. Report on countries that have been affected by the sales of narcotics by Sinaloa Cartel over the past 12 months
  5. E. Report on the success rate of the Anom app within drug cartels
  6. F. Report on any known technology use by this cartel
  7. G. Report on countries that would require knowledge of the application
  8. H. Report on countries that would require involvement in the application and potential arrest
  9. I. Report any known informants with access to the Sinaloa Cartel
  10. J. Report known media outlets that would reach the Sinaloa Cartel
  11. K. Report on any information obtainable on cartels current ideas surrounding cryptocurrency

Collection Plan

(Headquarters, Department of the Army, 2012) (Headquarters, Department of the Army, 2014)

SIR

PIR/IR

SIR Priority

Agency

Collect Type

Time

  1. A. Obtain and report on the biographical data of the top leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel and their closest affiliates.

1,2

1

FBI, DEA, DHS

OSINT, HUMINT, IMINT, COMINT

AS SOON AS OBTAINED

  1. B. Report on the usage of cryptocurrency within the cartel

2

8

FBI, DEA, TREASURY, NSA

SIGINT, COMINT, HUMINT, OSINT, ELINT

AS SOON AS OBTAINED/ INDEF.

  1. C. Report on money transfers through businesses associated with this cartel

2

9

FBI, NSA, TREASURY, DEA

OSINT, ELINT, SIGINT, COMINT, HUMINT

INDEF.

  1. D. Report on countries that have been affected by the sales of narcotics by Sinaloa Cartel over the past 12 months

1,2

7

FBI, DEA, CIA,DOD, DHS,NSA, NGA

OSINT, HUMINT,ELINT,MASINT, SIGINT, COMINT, IMINT

AS SOON AS OBTAINED

  1. E. Report on the success rate of the Anom app within drug cartels

1,2

2

FBI, CIA, DOD, NSA, DEA,

HUMINT, SIGINT, COMINT, IMINT, OSINT,

AS SOON AS OBTAINED

  1. F. Report on any known technology use by this cartel

1,2

3

DEA, FBI, NSA, DHS, IRS, CIA,

HUMINT, SIGINT, COMINT, IMINT, OSINT, ELINT, MASINT

INDEF.

  1. G. Report on countries that would require knowledge of the application

2

11

FBI, US COAST GUARD, NSA, DHS, CIA, TREASURY

HUMINT, SIGINT, OSINT, COMINT, ELINT, IMINT

INDEF.

  1. H. Report on countries that would require involvement in the application and potential arrest

2

10

FBI, DEA, CIA, NSA, TREASURY, DOD, DHS, NGA, COAST GUARD

HUMINT, OSINT, SIGINT ELINT, COMINT, IMINT

INDEF.

  1. I. Report any known informants with access to Sinaloa Cartel

1,2

4

FBI, DEA, CIA,DHS, NSA, DOD

HUMINT, COMINT

INDEF

  1. J. Report known media outlets that would reach the Sinaloa Cartel

1,2

6

CIA, NSA, FBI

HUMINT, COMINT, SIGINT, ELINT, OSINT

INDEF.

  1. K. Report on any information obtainable on cartels current ideas surrounding cryptocurrency.

1,2

5

CIA, DEA, NSA, FBI, DHS, DOD

HUMINT, COMINT, ELINT, SIGINT, OSINT

INDEF.

References

Clark, R. M. (2017). Intelligence Analysis, A target Centric Approach, fifth edition. Thousand Oaks: Sage, CQPress.

Dimuro, G. (2019, August 30). La Catedral: Inside The Luxurious Prison Colombia Allowed Pablo Escobar To Make For Himself. Retrieved from All Thats Interesting: https://allthatsinteresting.com/la-catedral

Drug Enforcement Administration. (2021). Most Wanted Fugitives. Retrieved from DEA : https://www.dea.gov/fugitives

Dudley, S. (2016, July 6). How Drug Trafficking Operates, Corrupts in Central America. Insight Crime. Retrieved from https://insightcrime.org/news/analysis/how-drug-trafficking-operates-corrupts-in-central-america/

Ehlers, S., & Zagaris, B. (2005, October 6). Drug Trafficking & Money Laundering. Retrieved from Institute for Policy Studies: https://ips-dc.org/drug_trafficking_money_laundering/

FM 34-7. (n.d.). COLLECTION PLAN FORMATS AND INSTRUCTIONS FM 34-7. Retrieved from Global Security: https://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/library/policy/army/fm/34-7/34-7_appd.pdf

Hanlon, E. J. (2004). Marine Corps Warfighting Publication (MCWP) 2-2, MAGTF Intelligence Collection. US Marines. Washington DC: U.S. Marine Corps. Retrieved from https://www.marines.mil/Portals/1/Publications/MCWP%202-2%20MAGTF%20Intelligence%20Collection.pdf

Headquarters, Department of the Army. (2012). Information Collection, FM 3-55. Headquarters, Department of the Army. Washington DC: US Army. Retrieved from https://fas.org/irp/doddir/army/fm3-55.pdf

Headquarters, Department of the Army. (2014). Plan Requirements and Assess Collection, ATP 2-01 . Headquarters, Department of the Army. Washington DC: US Army. Retrieved from https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/pdf/web/atp2_01.pdf

Homeland Security. (2010). Department of Homeland Security. Homeland Security, Washington DC. Retrieved from https://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/dhs-counternarcotics-doctrine-2010-06-15.pdf

Hymes, Clare w/ CBS. (2021, June 9). Heavy Blow Against Organized Crime after Criminal "Kingmakers" tricked into using FBI-run messaging app. Retrieved from CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/anom-app-fbi-criminals-trojan-shield/

Insight Crime. (2021, May 4). Sinaloa Cartel Profile. Retrieved from InSight Crime: https://insightcrime.org/mexico-organized-crime-news/sinaloa-cartel-profile/

King, J. (2018, May 5). THE IMPORTANCE OF PRIORITY INTELLIGENCE REQUIREMENTS TO THE ARMY SERVICE COMPONENT COMMAND (ASCC) AND THE INTELLIGENCE APPARATUS. Retrieved from Small Wars Journal: https://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/importance-priority-intelligence-requirements-army-service-component-command-ascc-and

Office of National Drug Control Policy. (2011). National Southwest Border Counternarcotics Strategy. Office of National Drug Control Policy. Washington DC: Executive office of the United States. Retrieved from https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/ondcp/swb_counternarcotics_strategy11.pdf

Office of the Director of National Intelligence. (2013). US National Intelligence (An Overview). Washington DC: ODNI.

The Department of the Treasury. (2021). Counter Narcotics Trafficking Sanctions. Retrieved from US Department of the Treasury: https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/financial-sanctions/sanctions-programs-and-country-information/counter-narcotics-trafficking-sanctions

UNODC. (2011). Criminal Intelligence Manual for Analysts. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. New York: English, Publishing and Library Section, United Nations Office at Vienna. Retrieved from https://www.unodc.org/documents/organized-crime/Law-Enforcement/Criminal_Intelligence_for_Analysts.pdf

UNODC Research. (2021). DATAUNODC. Retrieved from United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime : https://dataunodc.un.org/

Vergen, D. (2020, November 6). DOD Works With U.S. Agencies, International Partners to Halt Illicit Drug Flow. Retrieved from US Dept of Defense: https://www.defense.gov/Explore/News/Article/Article/2408583/dod-works-with-us-agencies-international-partners-to-halt-illicit-drug-flow/

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