Narcos, Inc.: Drug Cartels and the Architecture of Entrepreneurial Ecosystems

Authors

• Samuel T. Hunter, University of Nebraska at OmahaFollow
• Amanda N. Moeller, University of Nebraska at OmahaFollow
• Alex Bruens, University of Nebraska at OmahaFollow

Document Type

Report

Publication Date

9-2026

Abstract

As the U.S. State Department increasingly designates drug cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs), scholars and policymakers face a pressing need to better understand the structure and behavior of these groups. This report argues that drug cartels, particularly the thirteen currently designated as FTOs, are more accurately conceptualized as criminal entrepreneurial ecosystems than as traditional terrorist organizations.

Comments

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Accessibility Statement

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Recommended Citation

Hunter, Samuel T.; Moeller, Amanda N.; and Bruens, Alex, "Narcos, Inc.: Drug Cartels and the Architecture of Entrepreneurial Ecosystems" (2026). Reports, Projects, and Research. 177.
https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/ncitereportsresearch/177