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Narconomics: How to Run a Drug Cartel

Tom Wainwright

4.16 · Rating details · 7,881 ratings · 676 reviews

What drug lords learned from big business

How does a budding cartel boss succeed (and survive) in the 300 billion illegal drug business? By learning from the best, of course. From creating brand value to fine-tuning customer service, the folks running cartels have been attentive students of the strategy and tactics used by corporations such as Walmart, McDonald's, and Coca- ...more

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Hardcover, 288 pages

Published February 23rd 2016 by PublicAffairs

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Jan 31, 2017 Candace rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, listened-to-audio-version, organized-crime

Check out more of my reviews at www.bookaddicthaven.com

Having lived in a border-state since childhood, I've always been intrigued by Mexico and the plight of that country's citizens. When I was in high school (1990's), my friends and I would frequently lie to our parents and stay out all night, bar-hopping in Juarez. As an adult, I'd have a heart attack if I thought my children had done something like that. However, at 15 you feel pretty invincible and luckily my friends and I never got ourselve Check out more of my reviews at www.bookaddicthaven.com

Having lived in a border-state since childhood, I've always been intrigued by Mexico and the plight of that country's citizens. When I was in high school (1990's), my friends and I would frequently lie to our parents and stay out all night, bar-hopping in Juarez. As an adult, I'd have a heart attack if I thought my children had done something like that. However, at 15 you feel pretty invincible and luckily my friends and I never got ourselves into any serious trouble.

By 2007, Juarez was dubbed the murder capital of the world. Mexico's drug cartels engaged in a brutal turf war. The violence was spilling over the border with increasing frequency. Kidnapping, torture and murder were commonplace. With a government plagued by corruption at all levels, the people of Juarez were at the mercy of the cartels, with nowhere to turn for help. Out-gunned and out-manned, legitimate law enforcement on both sides of the border are left impotent.

'Narconomics: How to Run a Drug Cartel' shed a new light on the operation of drug cartels for me. I've spent plenty of time reading news articles outlining the shocking crimes committed by the cartels, but I can't say I ever had much of an understanding of the financial side of the illegal drug trade. Sure, I knew that it is a very profitable and dangerous business. I also understood basic principles of supply and demand. I just never went beyond "skimming the surface".

The book is provides the account of a journalist that delves into the world of the narcos, applying economic principles to the drug trade. Using economic principles, the author is able to explain many of the driving factors that make the manufacture and sale of illicit drugs so lucrative. Political, cultural and geographic considerations are also touched upon, in order to provide a more comprehensive view.

While I found this book to be very interesting, I have to admit that I often found myself bored. This probably has far more to do with my reading tastes, which strongly favor entertainment over enlightenment, than it does with the quality of this non-fiction work. That being said, take my rating with a grain of salt. If you're an avid non-fiction reader, this book might be a 5-star read for you.

Overall, it was an "okay" read for me. Again, this is more of a reflection of my personal preferences than the quality of the content. I learned quite a lot from this book and looked at the drug trade through a new lens. Very interesting, but not an entertaining page-turner for me. ...more

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Nov 21, 2019 Maria Espadinha rated it really liked it · review of another edition

The Importance of Not being Ernest

When a not so brave journalist was sent to cover what is possibly the most brutal business on earth, the expected and obvious epilogue could be:

On a (not such a) fine day, find him in the trunk of an anonymous vehicle, mummified in masking tape, as it happened to the majority of other inquisitive journalists like him.

However, his moderate bravery made all the difference leading him to a happily ever after — this book 👍

Morals of the story:

Number 1 - Since journa ...more

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Jan 29, 2016 Darren rated it it was amazing

More addictive than a bag of illicit drugs (one can imagine), this book takes a look at the multi-billion dollar global drug industry in an entirely different way, viewing it as a business and showcasing its different business functions. Narconomics, the economics of narcotics, in other words.

This is not just a book about drugs but a look at many areas of business and economics through a practical lens. It is all strangely addictive, informative and engaging. Tabloid newspapers need not fear; th ...more

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Dec 09, 2018 Cori rated it liked it

Shelves: real-life, science

First off: I'm not about to become the next El Chapo...El Chapa? Anyways. I had a couple reasons for reading this book. One: I was looking for books on economics, and this one kept coming up as an interesting substitute to typically dry textbooks. Two: understanding drug culture and understanding how to better fight it is incredibly handy in my line of work. So I thought I could kill two birds with one stone.

I wasn't disappointed. At no point did I feel like this book was dry. It did take me a First off: I'm not about to become the next El Chapo...El Chapa? Anyways. I had a couple reasons for reading this book. One: I was looking for books on economics, and this one kept coming up as an interesting substitute to typically dry textbooks. Two: understanding drug culture and understanding how to better fight it is incredibly handy in my line of work. So I thought I could kill two birds with one stone.

I wasn't disappointed. At no point did I feel like this book was dry. It did take me a while to get through it, but I think that has more to do with the busy-ness that is my life right now.

Tom Wainwright initially came across as a bit of a pompous ass to me, but eventuallly that seemed to go away and I really enjoyed his perspective. I didn't agree with everything he had to say, but his perspective on the war on drugs was very unique. His suggestions were interesting and got me thinking a bit differently than I have before. It was mentally stimulating to see a perspective different than mine. On the downside, I felt like a lot of his solutions were lacking essential components or overlooking a huge issue. For example, his suggestion in preventing people being prescribed opioids was not to stop doctors from prescribing more opioids, but to put more money into treatment. He felt that stopping the prescription of opioids is what pushes these addicts to turn to heroin. While there is truth to that, it's only a solution to helping current addicts; it doesn't prevent new addicts from being made every day by the corrupt, or at time well-meaning, providers out there. That said, the concept that hitting the demand side of the drug economy rather than the supply side would fight the war in a potentiallly more powerful way...that has some weight to it. I'm mulling that over a lot.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It touched on a lot of relevant topics, especially in light of the new marijuana laws in a lot of states.

I'd rate this book an R for blatant drug discussion, topics of cartel and gang violence, and other adult themes. ...more

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Jan 22, 2018 Blair Lochrie rated it really liked it

Despite reading cover to cover, I am no closer to establishing my own drug cartel. Apart from this dissapointment, I'd recommend the book. ...more

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May 15, 2016 Andrej Karpathy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Once in a while you read a book that shatters your preconceptions and updates your world view. In the wonderful "Narcoeconomics: How to Run a Drug Cartel", Tom Wainwright (an editor at The Economist), explores the narcotics industry through an economic lens. You'll see how drug cartels are much more like McDonalds or Walmart than you previously thought: optimizing their supply chains, competing, forming mergers, colluding, worrying about human resources, public relations and brand building, offs ...more

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Sep 15, 2016 Andrew rated it really liked it

Shelves: economics-business-finance, anthropology-sociology

Narconomics: How to Run a Drug Cartel, by Tom Wainwright, is a book that examines the modern drug business (both illegal and legal) in terms of actual business principles. What results is a fairly interesting and innovative book that mixes both journalistic style interviewing and reporting with business and economic principles (though these lightly). Wainwright starts off examining the point of origin, ie. Coca farms in Colombia and Bolivia, through the chain to the US border and the large recre Narconomics: How to Run a Drug Cartel, by Tom Wainwright, is a book that examines the modern drug business (both illegal and legal) in terms of actual business principles. What results is a fairly interesting and innovative book that mixes both journalistic style interviewing and reporting with business and economic principles (though these lightly). Wainwright starts off examining the point of origin, ie. Coca farms in Colombia and Bolivia, through the chain to the US border and the large recreational drug market in the United States. While on the road, the book examines principles of the business world: supply management, human resources, offshoring, alternative products and diversification.

From the supply side, Wainwright examines the mark up - mostly of cocaine. He starts in farms both illegal (in Colombia) and legal (in Bolivia) that grow Coca. These farms are often poorer, and leaves sell for as little as $100 for a large bundle. The mark up as it approaches the US border continues to increase, as various drug running gangs and cartels begin to take hold of the product, and the risk associated with it increases. The sale price in the US, after all is said and done, is astronomically higher (thousands of percentage points) over the original price. Drug cartels achieve similar mark ups to large corporations like WalMart - they put all the price fluctuations on the shoulders of the suppliers, and as retailers charge a fairly fixed rate through the massive mark up price. As Cartels control the supply, there is little room for competition to come in and undercut prices. The Cockroach effect is the end result of crackdowns. Most governments have been focusing on supply to combat drug trafficking. They spray pesticides over farms in Colombia, or send in soldiers to burn crops. This has very little actual effect on the price of the drug, and just like cockroach's, squash one farm and another will take its place.

The second concept relates to collusion vs. competition. In recent years, many of the most violent gangs in Central America have declared truces and have divided up territory to try and reduce the horrendous amounts of violence occurring, for example, in El Salvador. Why? What is the incentive to cease violence in this sort of business. The obvious one is that it reduces the cost of training and recruiting new members. Collusion can also reduce the pressure governments put on drug gangs. No violence? No Problems! seems to be the motto.

The third concept is Human Resources. Drug cartels employ many similar tactics as businesses when looking for recruits, although the tactics are obviously more extreme is some respects. Loyalty is important in most drug operations for obvious reasons. Therefore, it is important to ensure members are satisfied with their employment. High pay, vacations and other incentives are used to ensure members are well remunerated for their work. A high exit cost (in the form, often, of violence) is used to dissuade members from leaving. One of the cradles of any drug organization is prison. Ironically, the tough on crime stance often leads to tighter structural formations and greater loyalty to drug cartels and gangs. Prisoners receive protection and pay in return for working for cartels, and joining one can act as a buffer to the harsher realities of prison.

The fourth concept is PR. Public relations is an important part of any business, and illegal drugs is no exception. Threats of violence or ISIS style videos of murders or violence deters those who act against the cartel, such as bloggers and politicians, as they are seen as a threat against profits. PR can work the other way, bringing folk-hero status to criminals and smugglers in certain areas of Mexico, through charitable donations and infrastructure projects that promote a cartels image. Finally, PR is an interesting weapon against rival cartels. Want a police clampdown in a rivals territory? Send in some goons to start some violence. Federal police will lock the area down, and drain resources from the rival cartel. An added bonus is that police are often pulled out of your own territory to assist.

I won't continue much longer, but other concepts include offshoring of certain aspects of drug production, franchising to expand rapidly, diversifying to people smuggling and new drug avenues, the online drug marketplace and how it effects traditional markets, and the new legal high business, including legalization of marijuana and designer drugs that stay ahead of legislation.

Wainwright's book offers a lot of interesting facts and figures in relation to the world of drug cartels. The way these cartels are organized is often synonymous with established business norms and strategies, albeit with a more sinister twist. Even so, each aspect is highly interesting, and Wainwright's mix of journalistic travelogue and hard facts can be quite good in places.

The subtitle "How to Run a Drug Cartel" is not an apt choice, however. This book focuses more on regulatory reform options. Tackling the demand side of the drug economy instead of the supply side for example. Or offering rehabilitation for offenders over the prison incubation system that seems to be the norm currently. Wainwright is off to show that the war on drugs has been a failure. Prices have shot up to astronomical levels in recent years, which only squeezes addicts harder while bringing in larger profits for the more ruthless cartels who cannot be squeezed out through legislative measures. Was it a let down? No. I was expecting more of a book on business stratagems that a cartel uses, or its relations to established business practices. This is partially accurate. However, the regulatory bend this book took was much different from what was advertised on the cover.

Suffice to say, this is an interesting read. It examines the business of drug cartels closely, and provides an entertaining account of the mysterious world of criminal cartels. This book can be recommended to those interested in the ongoing drug war, and those looking for an innovative read on business theory, albeit with a heavy dose of journalistic messaging. ...more

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Dec 28, 2015 Margaret Sankey rated it really liked it

Wainwright, an economist sent to Mexico to cover the drug wars for financial magazines, decided to apply business analysis after hearing cartel honcho after cartel honcho use business jargon to explain the trade--jails are human resource departments, there are franchises, there are advertising and media branding campaigns, even price collusions with rivals if the incentives are right. What ended up being really striking was the reminder not that cartels were putting on a veneer of corporatism, b ...more

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Jun 23, 2019 ScienceOfSuccess rated it liked it

Shelves: waiting

Someone told me that economists can make everything sound boring, and it's true.
You literally tell "how to run a drug cartel" but economic jargon and specific point of view make it kind of uninteresting.
This book isn't bad, you get what was promised in the title, and there are even a few interesting statistics. ...more

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Apr 18, 2019 Diana rated it really liked it

Shelves: non-fiction, true-crime

Narconomics: How to Run a Drug Cartel [2016] – ★★★★1/2

The title should not frighten anyone because this non-fiction book will not involve any difficult finance theories or the like. In this book, Tom Wainwright looks at the functioning of a drug cartel from the point of view of an ordinary business. If we view drug operations through the same prism that we use to evaluate an ordinary company then maybe it will be possible to devise solutions that will actually reduce mobsters’ business and stop Narconomics: How to Run a Drug Cartel [2016] – ★★★★1/2

The title should not frighten anyone because this non-fiction book will not involve any difficult finance theories or the like. In this book, Tom Wainwright looks at the functioning of a drug cartel from the point of view of an ordinary business. If we view drug operations through the same prism that we use to evaluate an ordinary company then maybe it will be possible to devise solutions that will actually reduce mobsters’ business and stop the reach of their operations. Wainwright embarks on his own exciting investigative work to show us how a drug cartel, like any other legal business, seeks to control the supply side, diversify, multiply its offshore locations to reduce its cost, as well as makes movements into the domain of the Internet to reach a wider pool of customers. Interesting comparisons are made with McDonalds, Walmart, Coca-Cola and Amazon, and, in light of these, Wainwright proposes unorthodox solutions to change policies to better tackle the issue. A dramatic and interesting picture emerges of the situation and functioning of drug cartels in the world.

The author’s main argument is very simple – drug cartels function like any other business and the sooner policy-makers and enforcement agencies recognise this, the sooner the issue of crime operating on a global scale will be resolved. More efficient policies and actions may be devised to tackle the difficult problem if one realises that there is no use suppressing the supply side, economising on early interventions and preventative measures, and forsaking a global approach in favour of local initiative.

To “prove” his argument, Wainwright goes on his own investigative journey to many dangerous places, showing how drugs move from their production origin, for example, on coca plantations in Bolivia, to them being sold for a price that much more than quadrupled on the streets of major European cities. Drawing comparisons with legal businesses, the author shows how Mexican cartels and their franchising can be equated with the operation and success of McDonalds, and how the control of supply chains by Colombian cocaine manufacturers can be compared to business operations of Walmart. Drug cartels also look to diversify, as Coca-Cola and Disney tried to do, sometimes with variable success. Wainwright further shows how prisons function as schools for criminals (hence, better jails disrupt drug cartel operations), and touches on the illustrious crime sprees of such big names in the global drug business as Pablo Escobar, “El Chapo” Guzman and George Jung.

Cartels also use media and advertising like any other business to “soften” their image and reach many people, trying to gain some public acceptance (“drug lords have [also] used philanthropy to acquire an almost saintly status”, writes Wainwright, [2016: 104]), and the author further illustrates how the law lags behind innovations in drug compositions which means that there are always “legal” substances on the market that should really be banned. Finally, Wainwright touches upon the ever-growing power of the Internet, which revolutionises not only how legal businesses do their business but also how drug cartels operate, and brings attention to the issue of doctors sometimes being unwitting conspirators in getting their patients closer to being addicted to illegal substances (by overprescribing pain medication), benefiting drug cartels in a long-run.

One of the great things about this book is that the author not only explains his “thesis” in a clear way, but also provides recommendations and solutions that stem directly from the realisation that drug cartels operate like any other business. Some of his recommendations may be counter-intuitive, but since no existing policy against drug cartels had a complete and undeniable success so far and, taking into account the fact that drug cartels are adaptable and their methods are ever changing, it may really be the time to finally rethink the policy and go for an unorthodox solution to the problem. Wainwright writes that it is by reshaping the market, rather than by shutting it down completely, that the results will be achieved: “unless there is a radical change in strategy, business conditions for the mafia will remain promising” [Wainwright, 2016: 286].

Narconomics is an insightful book, but some of its sources could have been more credible (there are some anecdotal evidence), and there could have been less repetition. Wainwright’s ultimate suggestion on how to improve the situation regarding drug operations in the world is also a bit unrealistic.

Wainwright’s book is interesting, persuasive and easy to read, sometimes making very eye-opening observations on the nature of drug cartel operations. This may really be the book about drug cartels you never knew you wanted to read. ...more

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Jan 30, 2017 11811 (Eleven) rated it it was amazing

Outstanding analysis of how cartels operate and why the war on drugs has been and continues to be a dismal failure.

Easy read. Recommended.

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Nov 26, 2018 Alex Givant rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: tts, economy, best-of-2018

Excellent book about narcotics' economy. ...more

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May 10, 2017 Daniel Clausen rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-of-2017

The book is exactly what is advertised, a look at the drug trade through economics principles. For this reason, the book suffers some of the limitations of its perspective as well the limitations of a book that does journalism on something clandestine.

The adage, "economists know best" isn't one I would apply to many things on life, but in this case the perspective does add some "value added" to the overall picture. As someone who has read research that has applied economic answers to the proble ...more

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May 01, 2016 Melissa McCauley rated it really liked it

A fascinating look at the multi-billion dollar international illegal drug industry. It shows how cartels use tactics of all big businesses: advertising, brand loyalty, customer service, gaining market share, etc. But with guns. And knives. And explosives. The author amply demonstrates how traditional drug enforcement policies are completely inappropriate responses to the epidemic and encourages readers and lawmakers to think more like economists.

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Nov 19, 2016 Allan rated it really liked it

Shelves: audiobook

A really interesting Audible listen on all aspects of the drug trade, from the infamous Mexican cartels to the legalised marijuana market in certain US states with many stops in between, detailing the story behind them as well as explaining the reasoning behind the economics of the business in the language of the multinational conglomerates that many of the businesses are.

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Oct 22, 2019 Nashwa S rated it really liked it

Shelves: nonfiction

This was an amazing book! A great insight into how the drug cartels operate especially if you compare them to legitimate businesses - you will see a lot of similarity. It was like watching an extremely well-researched documentary unfolding discussing how cartels manipulate the media, start opening franchises and break into new markets. It also talks about how governments can operate global efforts to curb this multi-billion dollar drug industry.

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Aug 20, 2017 Ethan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Fantastic book that approaches the drug trade through an economist's lens. From comparing global cartels to Walmart and McDonald's, there are plenty of fascinating parallels. Also, having watched both seasons of Narcos, this seemed like a perfect How It Works companion. ...more

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Mar 15, 2017 Sean Goh rated it really liked it

I salute Wainwright's ballsyness for going in deep with cartel people and writing about their business practices, especially for the country where journalists are silenced with extreme prejudice.
If only economics textbooks were this interesting.

___
A steer has to be slaughtered, butchered, shipped, seasoned, grilled and served before it is worth $50 a slice. For this reason, no analyst of the beef industry would calculate the price of a live steer mooching around on the Argentine pampa using res ...more

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Jan 30, 2017 Trevyn Hubbs rated it it was amazing

This book is more like an introduction to business course, with examples drawn from the producers, distributors, and suppliers of illegal drugs. Prepare for terms like 'monopsony' and 'collective action problem'. I loved it, finding the read very enjoyable and educational.

The main point of the book is to explain how fighting the drug trade is like squeezing a balloon--when you put pressure on it in one place, it will expand somewhere else. This is, as long as demand remains strong. Cutting forei ...more

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Oct 09, 2017 Susan rated it really liked it

Interesting book analyzing the illegal drug trade as a business with economic indicators such as supply and demand, quality control, market competition and product distribution. Drug cartels must also try to keep up with emerging technologies and online retailing. The book is well written and brings up some alternative ways of looking at the drug trade and ways of controlling it. As a side note, it was revealing to watch the Netflix show Narcos while reading the book. Pablo Escobar was a signifi ...more

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Sep 10, 2018 Jay Bhatt rated it it was amazing

The author has done an amazing work towards mapping out things. From selecting your target audience, adjusting to regulations, establishing a company culture while hiring, catering to different types of clients for different business, disruption themselves to gain during legalisation of drugs in the states, there are a lot of things here to learn about supply chain, and how to survive its disruption as well, because cartels always stand their ground, and the author very intricately describes the ...more

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Dec 30, 2017 Ian . rated it it was amazing

Great reading after watching Narcos, El Chapo and Escobar in Netflix. Not one of those hands on "for dummies" book but gives a good overview how stuff works. Good comparisons with legal corporations like McDonalds, Coca Cola etc. ...more

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Jun 09, 2019 Amir Sarabadani rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

I recommend this book to everyone, if you don't have time to read it. Only read the last chapter as the summary. ...more

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Feb 21, 2018 Maurício Linhares rated it it was amazing

Must read, period. Whether you care about the war on drugs or take drugs or live in this planet you should read this book. Tom goes through all the ways drugs are part of society, how the drug cartels are run like multinational businesses, how populations are affected and how whole countries have been destroyed by the so called "war on drugs". He covers how every single suppression policy has only moved the drug problem to another country, how the costs of keeping all these prisons only go up an ...more

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Sep 02, 2017 Travis rated it really liked it

Shelves: crime, non-fiction

Taking a run at the global narcotics industry from an economic point of view is certainly illuminating, but the book's conclusions are nothing new. It's an interesting overview, but not a game changer. Worth mining for arguments to deploy against your "shoot the Bali 9" National Party-voting uncle at Christmas, though. ...more

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Apr 02, 2016 Breakingviews rated it really liked it

By Martin Langfield

In “Narconomics,” journalist Tom Wainwright applies the logic of business to the bloody world of drug cartels. His book is both an extended black joke and a hard-headed analysis of the economics of getting high. The “war on drugs” is a fiasco, he writes; legalization offers hope of a more effective, rational approach.

Wainwright, a former Mexico correspondent for the Economist, examines how a global industry with annual revenue of $300 billion and hideous levels of violence has ...more

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Sep 04, 2019 Philip Joubert rated it liked it

3.5 stars

This book could have been so much more. The book is positioned to make intellectuals feel smart, in the same way that Why We Sleep and Sapiens does, but ultimately it never really reaches those heights.

Criticisms aside, you'll learn a thing or two about why the war on drugs is such an abysmal failure. Wainwright also does a good job of sketching the major "trends" in the reactional drug industry (e.g. legalization, designer drugs) and explores what their impact on the industry will be. ...more

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Dec 19, 2020 Manolo González rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

A very interesting book, a lot of numbers and stadistics and. A focus that i'd never thought about drugs and it's economical impact on society. It's kind of easy to read (my first book about this subject). ...more

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Dec 19, 2017 Simon Kao rated it it was amazing

Humbling ride, this book provides insightful knowledge on how to sought out, execute, and maintain a successful, rewarding and legit business/career, upping your financing game in life.

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Dec 22, 2018 Lisa V rated it it was amazing

I usually believe that there are no good or bad people-there's just people and we all do good and bad things. However, every once in awhile, some people (like cartels) seriously challenge that belief. ...more

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About Tom Wainwright

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Tom Wainwright is the Britain Editor of The Economist. He joined the Britain section in 2007 to cover a beat including crime and justice, migration and social affairs. In 2010 he became the newspaper’s Mexico City bureau chief, responsible for coverage of Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. There he wrote a special report on Mexico (“From darkness, dawn”, 2012). In 2013 he returned to Londo ...more

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“Look at the evolution of the price of a kilogram of the drug, as it makes its way from the Andes to Los Angeles. To make that much cocaine, one needs somewhere in the neighborhood of 350 kilograms of dried coca leaves. Based on price data from Colombia obtained by Gallego and Rico, that would cost about $385. Once this is converted into a kilo of cocaine, it can sell in Colombia for $800. According to figures pulled together by Beau Kilmer and Peter Reuter at the RAND Corporation, an American think tank, that same kilo is worth $2,200 by the time it is exported from Colombia, and it has climbed to $14,500 by the time it is imported to the United States. After being transferred to a midlevel dealer, its price climbs to $19,500. Finally, it is sold by street-level dealers for $78,000.10 Even these soaring figures do not quite get across the scale of the markups involved in the cocaine business. At each of these stages, the drug is diluted, as traffickers and dealers “cut” the drug with other substances, to make it go further. Take this into account, and the price of a pure kilogram of cocaine at the retail end is in fact about $122,000.” — 4 likes

“Despite international bans on the leaf, the Bolivian state supports various national industries that churn out all manner of coca-related products, from sweets, cookies, and drinks to coca-infused toothpaste. The industry is regulated by the Vice-Ministry of Coca, which imposes the limits on how much of the leaf can be grown. The” — 1 likes

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