Kingpin strategies — the targeting of the top-levels of terrorist or drug trafficking organization hierarchies — has become a centerpiece of U.S. and Mexican efforts to combat drug trafficking. This study addresses the unintended consequences of these strategies by assessing the impact of the arrest or deaths of Arellano-Felix Organization leaders on kidnap and homicide levels from the late 1990s to 2011. Published in the January 2013 issue of Trends in Organized Crime. Purchase is required to access the full article.
