A Nexus of Evil: An Analysis of the Terror-Crime Link at the U.S.-Mexican Border

As the nexus between terrorism and crime continues to expand, the threat of terrorism is now on our doorstep. The collaboration between terrorist groups and cartel operations at the U.S.-Mexican border is stimulated by the mutual benefits gained by both parties, and the instability in Mexico and the simultaneous market for drugs in the United States have created fertile soil for the growth of this nexus. The terrorist group, Hezbollah, has already demonstrated its alliance with Mexican cartels, and more alliances are likely to continue to be revealed. The ramifications of these alliances go beyond money laundering and fundraising, as terrorist groups can use the drug trade to disintegrate American society, gain access to new groups for recruitment and radicalization, and infiltrate the United States to execute terrorist attacks.