organized crime

• Delincuencia organizada: asociaciones transnacionales, nacionales o locales de empresas altamente centralizadas dirigidas por criminales que se dedican a actividades ilegales, generalmente con fines de lucro económico.

A category of transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals who engage in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit.

1. Structured criminal groupsB2formal

   A category of transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for profit.

   crimen organizado

   • The government launched a task force to combat organized crime.
   • Organized crime syndicates often control illegal drug trafficking.
   • The witness was placed in protective custody due to his testimony against organized crime.

2. Systematic illegal operationsB2formal

   Illegal activities that are planned and controlled by powerful groups and carried out on a large scale.

   crimen organizado

   • Money laundering is a key activity of organized crime.
   • The police uncovered a network of organized crime involved in human trafficking.
   • Organized crime has infiltrated several legitimate businesses in the region.