<p>The NYU SPS Center for Global Affairs’ consulting practicum on the Ecosystem of Terrorism and Organized Crime in West Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean examined the evolution of the organized crime and terror nexus—henceforth the nexus—since 2019, with a comparative focus on Latin America, the Caribbean, and West Africa. The core objective of this project was to explain why and how organized crime and terrorism converge or share tactics and to assess how these linkages vary by region, commodity economy, and state capacity. The project also explored how globalization and rapidly diffusing technologies are reshaping the nexus, enabling actors to scale violence, move value, and operate transnationally with greater speed and resilience.&nbsp;</p> <p>The methodology was conducted through a structured scan of policy and an analytical literature review supported by extensive interviews of experts in the field. The research assessed Mexico and Central America (criminal organizations adopting terror-style coercion), the Amazon belt (armed groups embedded in cocaine and illegal gold economies), the Caribbean (gang governance and coercion dynamics), and financial facilitation nodes such as the Tri-Border Area.</p>

<p>In West Africa, the project focused on the Sahel and coastal/transit zones where war economies and trafficking corridors intersect, and on hybrid financing models that blend territorial taxation with transnational smuggling and illicit trade.</p> <p>The project concluded with a final briefing to the CTED on the team’s findings of the intersections between terrorism and transnational organized crime, describing the relationship as an ecosystem to capture the complex and dynamic nature of the linkages on micro and macro scales. Recommendations were provided to the CTED with regard to its advisory role to member states, as well as for areas of further research. The team is proud to report that both their findings and recommendations were well received by the CTED.</p>