Thanks for the comments. I am aware of the problems with the term "criminal insurgency." I don't have a better term for it and I think John Sullivan and Adam Elkus make a compelling case for it. That being said I think the term causes real problems when coordinating with foreign nations.

I'm looking for examples of security problems that resemble the current crisis in Mexico and Guatemala by any name. For me that means violent, criminal, economically motivated groups that have successfully challenged the state and taken control of significant territory. We could call it a Big Organized Crime Situation or a Criminal Autonomous Movement or whatever term is most agreeable.

I'm looking for lessons learned on how other governments defeated these types of threats inthe past and how some of these lessons can be applied to current conflicts.

V/R

Mike