Sureños Gangs and Mexican Cartel Use of Social Networking Sites

Narco use of the Internet, specifically social networking sites by Sureños gang and Mexican cartel members, is a rich yet underexplored area of research in open venues because of its sensitive nature. This essay provides overviews of Sureños gang and Mexican cartel use of the Internet by means of viewing and analyzing primary Internet sources linked to purported narcotics groups and their associates. These patterns of use were then compared to more sophisticated Internet use by terrorist groups with similarities and contrasts noted. This essay concludes with a few general observations concerning likely narco Internet use patterns that will emerge