Hazy Borders: Legality and Illegality across the US-Mexico Border. Issue 2 (23rd November 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hernández, Alberto
• Is Part Of: Journal of illicit economies and development. Volume 3:Issue 2(2021)
• Page Start: 285
• Page End: 297
• Publication Date: 2021-11-23
• Subjects: US-Mexico border -- legality-illegality -- narcotics -- smuggling -- firearms; Informal sector (Economics) -- Periodicals; Black market -- Periodicals; Corruption -- Periodicals; Economic development -- Periodicals; 338.9
• DOI: 10.31389/jied.109
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2516-7227

Abstract

This paper analyzes the different trading networks, the flux of merchandise, and the actors involved in the act of crossing goods through the United States-Mexico border, particularly in the Tijuana-San Diego region. It argues that the line dividing both countries works differently depending on who travels through it, what kind of items are brought across, and which direction a person is going. These different patterns can be further analyzed when comparing northbound and southbound traffic; roughly speaking, products crossed into the US are usually prescription drugs, herbs, food, and cigarettes, among others; whereas, items crossed into Mexico are usually construction materials, electronics and electrodomestics, toys, marijuana, guns, and so forth. This paper proposes that the border is not a well-defined barrier when it comes to different types of merchandise, instead becoming hazy and allowing for the small-scale smuggling of products without incurring legal and/or problematic situations.