International Auto Theft: The Illegal Export of American Vehicles to Mexico (From International Criminal Justice: Issues in a Global Perspective, P 7-18, 2000, Delbert Rounds, ed. -- See NCJ-183129)

• NCJ Number: 183130
• Author(s): Rosalva Resendiz; David M. Neal
• Date Published: 2000
• Length: 12 pages
• Sale Source: Allyn and Bacon, Inc
• Publication Format: Book (Hardbound)
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study explored the organization of international professional auto theft in the Brownsville, Texas-Matamoros, Tamaulipas border; using a qualitative research design, the research examined the process and techniques involved in the theft and export of American vehicles.

Abstract

Various experts have identified the growing trend of Texas-Mexico international auto theft (Balfour, 1993; Beekman and Daly, 1990; Connor, 1987; Elegant, 1993). For the current study of this issue, data collection was done through participant observation, interviews, and the gathering of unobtrusive data. Interviews were conducted in three phases; the first two phases were field visits, and the third phase was correspondence with inmates. The interviewing instruments were structured, open-ended questions that were aided by the use of probes. Being an insider allowed the researcher to create a culturally appropriate instrument and therefore enhance the reliability and validity of the data. The study divided auto theft into three major roles: "chauffeur," "mounter," and "specialist." The "chauffeur" is responsible for providing a vehicle to cruise and scout for possible vehicle targets. The "specialist" is the skilled auto thief responsible for breaking into the targeted vehicle and starting the ignition. The "mounter" is the auto thief responsible for delivering the stolen vehicle to Mexico via one of the international bridges. The sample for this study consisted of two "chauffeurs," three "chauffeur/mounters," and five "specialists." Theft rings, as characterized by Miller (1987), were not found in this study. The organization of auto theft was not based on a hierarchy of authority. Those interviewed viewed the auto theft process as perpetrated by transient associations that require a division of labor; therefore, international auto theft has a semi-sophisticated organization at the lower supply level. Although these transient associations are not part of a highly organized criminal group, they use theft aids and special equipment. Thus, quasi-groups are created and equipped for the purpose of stealing, but these affiliations are transient and temporary. Further, the respondents never identified the buyers or clients as their bosses; respondents viewed the buyers as clients and friends. 1 table and 18 references