From a failed definition of drug trafficking to the conception of the U.S. as a Transnational Corporate Narco-State

Abstract

The United Nations defines drug trafficking as the cultivation, manufacture, transportation, and sale of legally prohibited substances; however, this definition excludes two crucial activities without which it would be impossible: arms supply and money laundering. This omission condemns some while absolving others based on distinctions of race, class, and geographic location, determining the legal, moral, and physical risks of participation. Vulnerable populations in the Global South are criminalized, while wealthy white men in the Global North are exempt from condemnation. In this article, we propose a political redefinition that includes the United States government, its agencies, and corporations as structural parts of the global drug trade.