Abstract
Transnational illicit trade has evolved beyond the mere economic and individual concerns of public or private sectors isolated. It now poses a profound threat to the integrity of democratic institutions, the rule of law, and global justice systems. This article explores the intricate links between illicit international trade and transnational organized crime within the concepts of a postmodern State. The article demonstrates how these criminal and clandestine networks undermine state sovereignty, fuel corruption and international briberies, and erode public trust. By analyzing the legal, political, and socio-economic dimensions of illicit markets, from old fashioned contraband activities to modern trafficking of drugs and humans, the counterfeit goods and environmental crimes. Criminal organizations are “invisible empires,” who operate parallel to legitimate governance structures. The article also examines the systemic weaknesses exploited by these networks and calls for a coordinated international legal response to safeguard democratic order and reinforce justice globally.
Recommended Citation
Víctor Hugo Guerra Hernández, Invisible Empires: Transnational Illicit Trade & the Global Threat to Law and Justice, 1 Latin Am. & Carib. L. Rev. (2026), https://ecollections.law.fiu.edu/latinamericancaribbeanlawreview/vol1/iss1/13.
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Comparative and Foreign Law Commons, Criminal Law Commons, International Law Commons, International Trade Law Commons, Law and Politics Commons, Other Law Commons, Transnational Law Commons
