Violence within: Understanding the Use of Violent Practices Among Mexican Drug Traffickers

This paper forms part of the Justice in Mexico working paper series, which includes recent works in progress on topics related to crime and security, rule of law, and human rights in Mexico. All working papers can be found on the Justice in Mexico website: www.justiceinmexico.org. The research for this paper involved in depth interviews with over thirty participants in violent aspects of the Mexican drug trade, and sheds light on the nature and purposes of violent activities conducted by Mexican organized crime groups. Importantly, this research demonstrates that violence serves multiple objectives, including instrumental, communicative, and ritualistic.