The THREAT OF ILLICIT DRUG TRAFFICKING IN THE MARITIME SERVICES OF COLOMBIA

Abstract

In Colombia, the General Directorate of the Sea plays the crucial role of regulating and granting commercial exploitation licenses to companies that provide maritime services. These services not only drive national development but also strengthen sovereignty in maritime spaces through various activities. However, the maritime progress of the country is threatened by the tactics of Transnational Criminal Organizations, especially concerning illicit drug trafficking by sea. This article proposes to conduct a spatial analysis of maritime service clusters in Colombia that are closest to seizures of illicit drug trafficking by sea. To enrich this perspective, a bibliometric analysis is carried out linking the search equations "maritime services" and "security." The results of this investigation are presented through geographical and bibliographic maps, shedding light on the direct connection between maritime services and the threat of illicit drug trafficking. This approach represents an original contribution to the field, as there are few works exploring the intersection of these two themes and employing geographic information systems. Additionally, the application of these findings could be extrapolated to maritime commercial route data, allowing the identification of vulnerabilities caused by Transnational Criminal Organizations. This, in turn, would provide valuable information to maritime security authorities for implementing specific strategies at identified critical points.