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What is more, Tamaulipas seems to be run by parallel governments formed by criminal actors (or cartels) that have challenged the monopoly of the legitimate use of violence that the State possesses. Multiple homicides, kidnappings, forced disappearances, extortion practices, and a significant number of violent crimes have characterized the regular dynamics in this state during drug war times-and particularly in its main border cities (Nuevo Laredo, Reynosa and Matamoros). In fact, the origins of the Gulf Cartel seem to be tightly linked to political power at the highest levels. Some have even referred to Tamaulipas as a “failed state.” The political protection of the so-called drug cartels that operate in this Mexican state by government authorities of all levels has been historical. Such schisms have derived from territorial disputes or direct encounters with law enforcement-that at times have acted in favor of one crime group or the other-in the context of Mexico’s “drug war.” It is worth mentioning that in Tamaulipas, for the past few decades, there has not been a clear distinction between political institutions, law enforcement, and organized crime. These new smaller, but still very violent criminal groups, have emerged as a result of divisions within the main regional criminal organizations that were once dominant. Tamaulipas is a border state located in Mexico’s northeast that has been marred by extreme violence in the past decade and a half, and has experienced the presence of and confrontation among very violent groups of organized crime (frequently called “cartels”), such as Los Zetas, the Gulf Cartel, and more recently of new criminal cells. Tamaulipas: A “failed state” in times of a “drug war” The present study highlights the preponderance of anonymous accounts when reporting about organized crime in Tamaulipas. It also identifies a close relationship between law enforcement agents, state and local politicians, local and national reporters, “citizen journalists,” as well as key anonymous social media users that represent a variety of interests-including possibly those of corrupt authorities and even organized crime. The analysis finds that dynamics of violence and organized crime in this region have spilled over into the cyberspace. This article applies Social Network Analysis (SNA) toward a preliminary understanding of the relationship between the various actors that communicate on social media platforms (essentially through Twitter), report situations of risk, and inform about matters of organized crime, violence, and insecurity in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. Messengers of a Drug War in the Cyberspace: The Case of Tamaulipas
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