CONTRA conducts research on corruption and influence networks, transnational crime, illicit trade, and trafficking, with particular attention to how these phenomena intersect and reinforce one another.
Drawing on computational analysis, field research, and global collaborations, we investigate the structures and networks that shape governance, migration, security, and illicit flows of goods, capital, and influence.
Our work integrates advanced analytical tools with grounded field research to illuminate hidden systems of power and illicit exchange across borders.
- Social network analysis applied to cartels, trafficking networks, and illicit governance systems
- AI-driven text extraction, LLM analysis, and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) models
- Geospatial, satellite, and spatial–temporal mapping
- Mixed-methods approaches combining quantitative and ethnographic research
- New corruption-mapping diagnostics and network analysis tools developed through global research grants
Research Methods
CONTRA integrates methodological innovation with policy-relevant inquiry. Our approaches include:
- Social Network Analysis (SNA) applied to cartels, trafficking networks, illicit governance systems, and influence ecosystems
- AI-driven text extraction, LLM analysis, and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) models for mapping and reconstructing hidden networks
- Geospatial, satellite, and spatial–temporal mapping of illicit trade routes and governance dynamics
- Mixed-methods research combining computational modeling with ethnographic and field-based investigation
- Corruption-mapping diagnostics and network analysis tools developed through major global research grants
Current Projects
- Evolution of Global Illicit Kidney Trade Networks (NSF) – Koizumi
- Human Smuggling Networks & CORE-KG LLM Knowledge Graph Project – Correa-Cabrera
- Weaponized Corruption Mapping & Influence Elites (Carnegie, Swedish Research Council, EU Horizon) – Wedel
Selected Past Projects
- Social Network Analysis of the Medicus Case – Koizumi
- Borderlands Cartel Studies and Regional Crime Analyses – Correa-Cabrera