ABSTRACT
The disintegrated functional stages of the cocaine trade, discussed in relative isolation in preceding chapters, are here reassembled. The model of the cocaine industry generated by this research and elucidated in this chapter is schematic and conceptual rather than formulaic. The modeling process applied here is inspired by a catholic view of models that sees them as a structured synthesis of data, rather than as formal laws or equations. This schema is deeply rooted in the economic, social, and political landscapes within which drug trafficking organizations operate. Developing an understanding of this contextual setting is a second important contribution of this research.
