The diversification of drug trafficking organizations: testing spatial–temporal association between extortion and homicide in Mexico

In general, the literature associates face to face extortion with homicides, typically related to organized crime activities, since it is a form of violence that may end in death. In Mexico, it has been argued that diversification by the drug cartels has resulted in homicidal violence that facilitates extortion by these groups. However, despite a plausible theoretical and direct connection, there is still a lack of empirical studies that identify local and regional dynamics of homicidal violence that can be associated with the commission of the crime of extortion. This paper attempts to fill this gap by analyzing the spatial–temporal concentration of extortion and homicide on a municipal level from 2015 to 2020 in Mexico. Overall, we found that differences in spatial–temporal patterns between these activities suggest that these crimes emerge from different logics and, perhaps, criminal groups. As such, distinct public policies are required to deal with each of them.