Date of Conferral

2022

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Criminal Justice

Advisor

Ali Banister

Abstract

The use of illegal narcotics in the United States is an epidemic that requires significant and measurable results. Not only are illegal drugs crossing from Mexico into the United States a threat to public safety, but the involvement of juveniles is also becoming increasingly dangerous. Since early 2018, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA’s) San Diego Field Division has seen a disturbing trend of Mexican cartels increasingly recruiting juveniles from high schools in southern San Diego County to smuggle drugs through the ports of entry. The theoretical framework utilized in this study was social learning theory. The logical connection between social learning theory and the examination of juveniles’ motivations to smuggle narcotics internationally from Mexico into the United States is that juveniles are influenced by the behaviors of those around them. This study used a generic qualitative approach to explore, through the perceptions of law enforcement officers, the motivations of juveniles between the ages of 14 and 17 in San Diego County who smuggle drugs from Mexico into the United States. Findings indicated the primary motivation of juveniles between the ages of 14 and 17 in San Diego County who smuggle narcotics from Mexico into the United States was for monetary gain; the second motivating factor was notoriety. The results of this study have the potential to create positive social change by providing insights into the motivations of juveniles who smuggle drugs from Mexico into the United States in San Diego County. This study may contribute to positive social change, creating awareness within the communities regarding juvenile drug smuggling in San Diego County, which can create insights for the betterment of not only San Diego County, but all border towns within the United States.

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