Latest Blog Posts

 

02/07/2009 | Zeta and Gulf Cartel Relationship Revealed

01/07/2009 | UN cocaine numbers (partial) breakdown

01/07/2009 | Brazil: A fiscal paradise?

26/06/2009 | This is for the Mara Salvatrucha - book trailer no. 1

26/06/2009 | A little coverage: This is for the Mara Salvatrucha

 

Latest Publications / New Media / Announcements

 

Let's Talk about Immigration and the Border with Silvio Canto

(Blog Talk Radio 08/06/2009)

I spoke with Silvio Canto about my book, immigration, and border security.

 

Download the show here.

 

Hints of Failure in Guatemala

(International Relations and Security Network, 14/05/2009)

Will the death of a lawyer unravel Alvaro Colom's government? If so, what does this mean for the future of the Guatemalan government?

 

Read the commentary here.

 

Prison Gangs and Organized Crime

(International Relations and Security Network, 12/05/2009)

On the existing ties between between the Barrio Azteca prison gang and Mexican organized crime

 

Read the in-depth piece here.

 

This is for the Mara Salvatrucha

(Hyperion Books, forthcoming July 7, 2009; optioned by Paramount Vantage)

 

My first non-fiction narrative is the story of Brenda Paz's last three years of life. She was a young member of the Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, who became a federal informant before she was killed after running away from witness protection. This book uncovers little known truths about the MS-13, one of America's most violent street gangs, and reveals how the street life can be alluring to even well loved kids like Brenda. This narrative also takes a close look at the the realities of living inside the United States as part of a Latino immigrant community, underscoring the challenges with policing these communities and the fluidity of illegal movement across the US-Mexico border.

 

You can pre-order the book here.