Zavala meticulously tracks how the vocabulary of national security was imported from the United States during the late 20th century. Terms like "sicario" (hitman), "plaza" (drug territory), and "capo" (kingpin) create a fictionalized anatomy of crime. This language effectively dehumanizes the victims of violence by instantly labeling them as "belonging to a rival cartel," thereby absolving the state of its duty to investigate their deaths. 3. The Role of "Narco-Cultura"