A "New" Dynamic in the Western Hemisphere Security Environment

by Max G. Manwaring

A new and dangerous dynamic has been introduced into the Mexican internal security environment. It is represented by a private military organization called the Zetas, and involves the migration of power from traditional state and nonstate adversaries to nontraditional nonstate private military organizations. Moreover, the actions of this irregular nonstate actor tend to be more political-psychological than military, and further move the threat from hard power to soft power solutions. This monograph is intended to help political, military, policy, opinion, and academic leaders think strategically about explanations, consequences, and responses that might apply to the volatile and dangerous new dynamic that has inserted itself into the already crowded Mexican and hemispheric security arena, that is, the privatized Zeta military organization. (Originally published by the Strategic Studies Institute)

52 pages, Paperback

First published March 25, 2011