Gangster Warlords

October 15, 2015

Journalist Grillo (El Narco) defines gangster warlords as supervillains running drug rackets who also command militias to rule their spheres of operation in a mixture of crime and war. The violence of these newer crime groups of the Americas is staggering, with over one million murders between 2000 and 2010. Grillo traveled extensively to interview hundreds of people for their stories as he searched for structural and political causes that result in bloodshed. He offers testimonies on four criminal organizations: the Red Commando in Brazil, the Shower Posse in Jamaica, Central America's Mara Salvatrucha, and Mexico's Knights Templar. Grillo's theories emerge through narratives that include gangs, religious cults, and urban guerrillas. Possible resolutions are considered--reform drug policy (e.g., legalize marijuana, provide addiction treatment), build justice systems (effective courts, for example), transform ghettos (build roads, open schools, educate the young). VERDICT This is a vitally important book because, as the author writes, "how we as a society deal with this challenge could determine whether these gangster warlords are a blip in history or get even deeper into our communities and lives."--Krista Bush, Shelton, CT

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 26, 2015
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.