Blogs and drug trafficking: content analysis of messages of organized crime in México

Abstract

The pages “specialized" in spreading live crimes and even murders committed by members of organized crime cartels in northeastern Mexico get thousands of visits from Internet users daily. The Mexican Mafias, through blogs disseminated in the web, mix and spread information from newspapers with rumors and threats against rival Mafia groups or even the Mexican State. This reality is what is discussed in this paper. On these sites, through his computer or cell phone, the ordinary citizen watches executions, attacks, inert beheaded, hanged or mutilated bodies; knows about the disputes between organized crime groups; accesses videos and pictures where the torture and rape of kidnapped civilians or members of opposing groups is advertised. He virtually knows about weapons, cars, jewelry and lifestyles of those who work for the Mafia. In such sites, criminals show their crimes with impunity; victims are shown in their pain with photographs and videos taken by the criminals themselves and all this happens in advertising pages of prestigious brands through the hosting services, most of them are free. Drug traffickers operating in northeastern Mexico, mainly belonging to the groups called "Los Zetas" or "Gulf Cartel", have found in the networks of Internet users a way to show their scope and power through war, not only weapons but also the media, where the Internet is a powerful weapon of war to reach the public, scare their opponents and even challenge the Mexican State as regards public and national security.