The evolution of the transnational drug trade has precipitated an organizational and operational restructuring of organized crime groups (OCGs). This restructuring has produced a move away from formerly hierarchical and tightly controlled organizations, to more loosely coupled and decentralized network forms. But what has motivated the OCGs to restructure into more loosely coupled networks? Through an examination of the activities and strategies of Latin American OCGs, this article identifies market considerations, network responses to law enforcement pressure, and centrifugal forces within OCG networks as the key drivers of these changes. Despite this, OCGs still require some sort of organizational glue that connects and facilitates the activities of these decentralized networks. This is precisely why brokers are becoming vital actors in criminal networks. The data presented in this article suggests that brokers have assumed great significance in networks especially in relation to the ongoing linkages occurring between Latin American OCGs and with those in the Asia-Pacific.

跨国毒品贸易的发展催生了有组织犯罪集团（OCG）的组织和运营重组。这种重组使公司从原来的分级和严格控制的组织转移到更松散耦合和分散的网络形式。但是，是什么促使OCG重组为松散耦合的网络呢？通过对拉丁美洲OCG的活动和策略的考察，本文确定了市场考虑因素，网络对执法压力的反应以及OCG网络内部的离心力是这些变化的主要驱动力。尽管如此，OCG仍然需要某种组织粘合剂来连接并促进这些分散网络的活动。这正是经纪人成为犯罪网络中至关重要的角色的原因。本文提供的数据表明，经纪人在网络中已发挥了重要作用，尤其是在拉丁美洲OCG与亚太地区OCG之间存在持续联系方面。