How the illicit activities of armed non-state actors undermine state governance: A comparative study of Hezbollah and the Sinaloa Cartel.

Abstract

1 ABSTRACT This thesis explores the negative impact of the illicit activities of criminal organisations on state security governance. The main idea is how drug trafficking by two criminal groups affects and weakens state security governance. For this purpose, a comparative case study approach was chosen, with Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico as selected case studies. The analysis of the study focuses on the interactions between the drug trafficking activities of these criminal organisations and their impact on security governance in these countries. It was possible to identify and compare the negative impact of drug trafficking in Lebanon and Mexico through the number of drug seizures and the number of homicides. The analysis shows how Hezbollah and the Sinaloa Cartel influence the violence and lack of security in certain regions of both countries due to their power over local populations and their financial capacity derived from illicit activity. Therefore, to understand how both governments must deal with the activities of these groups in terms of security, scholars must consider the various factors that make these criminal organisations prominent and undermine the security of Lebanon and Mexico in order to attack the problem at its root. Key Words: Armed Non-State Actors, Drug...