Can you tell us more about your professional career in international security?
Martin: I have served as Argentina’s Deputy Secretary of State for Drug Enforcement between 2015 and 2019 and was appointed as Argentina's new Secretary of State for Counter Narcotics and Organised Crime in December 2023. I have also worked as a consultant for various international organisations.
One of the most challenging issues about transitioning from academia and the private sector to the public sector is understanding the different dynamics that affect the state's response to these threats. There is a need to adapt theory to practice. But what hasn't changed between those two different moments is how organised crime has expanded all over the world year after year. Now, it’s more transnational, more networked, and this requires a lot of work in terms of contacting and establishing alliances with neighbouring countries.
What are the main challenges in your new role in Argentina’s government?
Martin: We must be smarter and combat this threat using intelligence, lab policing, and investigations. This is the approach we are taking, with a strategy based on four main pillars. The first one is to reduce the supply of illegal or illicit services or goods, and this strategy has three layers: the boarders, the analysis of the main routes used by these criminal organisations, and a micro-strategy applied to the neighbourhoods where these criminal organisations establish themselves and build parallel power structures.
The second pillar is the development of a hostile environment for organised crime. This involves not only significant interaction between the federal government and provincial governments but also international cooperation and the improvement of the legal framework. We must adapt our legal framework to the emerging challenges and increase and develop new training and courses for our federal forces.
The third pillar is to reduce the demand for these illicit or illegal services. In this sense, we work extensively with other agencies in Argentina to detect new drugs being used, particularly synthetic drugs such as MDMA and its variations. We also identify areas with a specific increase in drug consumption and try to disrupt the supply of drugs until these programmes can develop to reduce consumption and provide treatment.
The fourth pillar is to fight against money laundering, the common factor in all variations of organised crime. When you effectively target money laundering, you are surely eroding their power base. The main objective is to break the organised crime business model.
How do you see the current panorama of drug trafficking and its impact on organised crime in Latin America?
Martin: What we are seeing right now is the flow of cocaine all over the region, a result of overproduction in Colombia. This is reaching peak records, with over 2,000 square metres of cocaine being produced, the highest level in history. This also facilitates the activities of organised crime across Latin America.
We have seen the problems this brings to countries like Ecuador, but other countries such as Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay are not immune to this threat. These criminal organisations are getting stronger and more powerful with the increasing flow of cocaine, promoting criminal convergence, where different types of criminal organisations or activities create a network of interconnected illicit operations.
Therefore, different variations of organised crime are joining forces, establishing networks, and becoming even more powerful. We have seen links between drug trafficking and terrorism financing, drug trafficking and illegal arms transfers, and illegal mining and other forms of organised crime such as contraband.
You were a Chevening scholar and studied for the Intelligence and International Security MA at King’s from 2020 to 2021. Can you tell us more about this experience?
Martin: I started the MA during the pandemic, which, despite the challenging environment, allowed us to meet face-to-face and interact with some of the most renowned professors and experts. It was a great experience, and having the opportunity to exchange opinions with some of the leaders in this field was very important.
After completing my MA, I also joined King’s as a Visiting Senior Research Fellow and worked extensively with RUSI particularly on European Union programmes analysing illicit flows from America to Europe and Africa. It was an eye-opening experience, as I have always been a user of intelligence, but I was not in an intelligence agency. The information I received in my previous roles had already been processed by our intelligence agencies or the intelligence sections of the police forces. I also gained insights into how intelligence systems work around the world, which vary greatly between the UK and the US.
As a Visiting Senior Research Fellow, what specific areas of research or projects were you involved in at King’s?
Martin: I have been involved in analysing cyber security policies in the region with Dr Joe Devanny and Dr Vinicius Carvalho, examining how organised crime is being used as a proxy by some countries or states, using these criminal organisations as tools for their international policy strategies.
I am a total supporter of joint teams, and I am responsible for bringing some of the most relevant task forces from abroad to Argentina. For example, I developed the first two task forces with the Drug Enforcement Administration in the northeastern and northwestern parts of Argentina, comprising the four federal forces and the provincial police force. Additionally, we have European Union programmes like the AIRCOP at airports and ports, involving joint investigative teams with the federal police and customs.
What advice would you give to students who aspire to pursue a career like yours?
Martin: First, don't limit yourself or narrow your search to what you think you should be doing. There's a significant need for people who have a broader view of reality, threats, and the future. This need spans private companies, security research and intelligence firms, governments, and non-governmental organisations. The field is expanding very quickly worldwide and is very rewarding in many niches.
Network a lot, in my experience, every time I have tried to network, doors have opened for me. We often say that we are a small group of very passionate individuals, and there's a lot of support within this community. Don't hesitate to knock on doors, reach out, and send emails. Talk to professors and your course mates, especially those who might seem quieter or more reserved. You will find many interesting people and opportunities if you take the initiative to connect with them.