Illicit Economies and the Systems that Sustain Organized Crime

Welcome to the ParlAmericas Podcast.

In this episode, we examine how transnational organized crime and illicit economies affect governance, trade, development, and human security across the Americas and the Caribbean.

We hear from Michael Bejos, Officer in Charge of the Department against Transnational Organized Crime of the OAS Secretariat for Multidimensional Security. His remarks explore how criminal networks exploit the same systems that sustain legal prosperity, including ports, logistics chains, financial flows, corporate structures, supply chains, digital platforms, and cross-border commerce.

Throughout the episode, he explains why illicit economies cannot be addressed only as a criminal justice problem. They also require stronger regulatory frameworks, financial intelligence, customs cooperation, asset recovery, private sector engagement, and international coordination.

The discussion also considers the role of parliaments in modernizing laws, strengthening oversight and accountability, distinguishing between informality and criminality, and advancing regional cooperation to disrupt the economic ecosystems that allow organized crime to operate, adapt, and reinvest.

This episode was recorded during the 22nd ParlAmericas Plenary Assembly and 10th Gathering of the Open Parliament Network, titled “Parliamentary Leadership for Shared Prosperity: Advancing Trade, Innovation, and Security in a Changing World,” held in Ottawa, Canada, from May 19 to 22, 2026.