Illicit Economies and the Systems that Sustain Organized Crime
About this episode
This episode explores the impact of transnational organized crime and illicit economies on governance and security in the Americas and the Caribbean.
Welcome to the ParlAmericas Podcast. In this episode, we examine how transnational organized crime and illicit economies affect governance, trade, development, and human security across the Americas and the Caribbean. We hear from Michael Bejos, Officer in Charge of the Department against Transnational Organized Crime of the OAS Secretariat for Multidimensional Security. His remarks explore how criminal networks exploit the same systems that sustain legal prosperity, including ports, logistics chains, financial flows, corporate structures, supply chains, digital platforms, and cross-border commerce. Throughout the episode, he explains why illicit economies cannot be addressed only as a criminal justice problem. They also require stronger regulatory frameworks, financial intelligence, customs cooperation, asset recovery, private sector engagement, and international coordination. The discussion also considers the role of parliaments in modernizing laws, strengthening oversight and accountability, distinguishing between informality and criminality, and advancing regional cooperation to disrupt the economic ecosystems that allow organized crime to operate, adapt, and reinvest. This…
People in this episode
Guest: Michael Bejos
Topics covered
- transnational organized crime
- illicit economies
- governance
- trade
- human security
- regulatory frameworks
- international coordination
Keywords
- organized crime
- illicit economies
- governance
- financial intelligence
- customs cooperation
- asset recovery
- private sector engagement
- international coordination
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: OAS Secretariat for Multidimensional Security
Places: Americas, Caribbean, Ottawa
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