The criminal-state is a new form of dangerous state. It is a by-product of belligerent non-state entities and their networks at war with the nation-state form. Four criminal-state forms originated from jihadi insurgency: state failure--lawless zones (anarchy), criminal takeover (illegal business), and oligarchic regimes (dynastic). These identified criminal-state forms share a common dependence on criminal economic activity for logistics support. Citizens realize the threat and must be prepared to adequately defend themselves against the highly adaptive criminal entities. These criminal entities are evolving, emerging, and threatening the people and their government. The United States has already engaged in three out of the four criminal-state forms: the jihadi insurgency, the state failure--lawless zones, and oligarchic regimes. The post September 11 security environment requires the recognition of a new form of dangerous state, the criminal-state. This paper makes a first attempt at defining criminal-states and discusses the issues inherent in doing so. 36 footnotes