At the heart of many international enforcement problems is an economic agenda that maintains the status quo in various countries. The author notes the billions of dollars lost by world industries annually to various illegal organized crime interests that operate internationally with little or no restraint from their originating countries. Closely connected with economics is corruption of public officials who permit illegal activities to prevail without criminal sanctions. In Mexico, for example, allegations of drug-related corruption at senior levels led to the arrests of the elder brother of the former president, Carlos Salinas, and the former Deputy Attorney General. Simultaneously, the Mexican government has had to contend with continuing assassinations of judges, prosecutors, and even transport officials in cases described as the results of corruption scandals. One means of attacking international syndicates that operate illegally is through the imposition of economic sanctions on culprit countries. This paper explores some of the moral dilemmas created by such sanctions and offers various diplomatic alternatives for consideration. 20 notes