Colombia remains a hotspot for forced recruitment of minors. In this, the last of a three-part investigation by InSight Crime, journalist Mathew Charles looks at how school teachers are trying…
The Invisible Drug Lord: Hunting ‘The Ghost’
INVESTIGATIONS
/ 29 MAR 2020
Drug traffickers today realize that their best protection is not a private army but anonymity. This is the story of “Memo Fantasma” or “Will the Ghost,” who started life in…
Colombia Teachers – Last Line of Defense Against Forced Recruitment
INVESTIGATIONS
/ 15 APR 2021
Colombia remains a hotspot for forced recruitment of minors. In this, the last of a three-part investigation by InSight Crime, journalist Mathew Charles looks at how school teachers are trying…
NEWS
‘Memo Fantasma’ Initiates Criminal Proceeding Against InSight Crime Director
COLOMBIA
/
20 APR 2021
An elusive drug trafficker has brought a criminal libel case against InSight Crime Co-director Jeremy McDermott, despite widespread official confirmation of the findings of InSight Crime's two-year investigation.
NEWS
4 Security Challenges Awaiting Ecuador’s Next President
DRUG POLICY
/
20 APR 2021
Ecuador’s next president will face an unprecedented set of security challenges, as prison violence has soared to record levels, the country’s corruption is receiving international attention and the criminal situation…
NEWS
The Derring-Do of a Bolivian Drug Trafficking Warhorse
BOLIVIA
/
20 APR 2021
An old associate of Pablo Escobar, who spent 27 years in prison in the United States, is behind bars once again – this time in Peru – which goes to…
NEWS
Colombia Decides EPL is No Longer Major Threat
COLOMBIA
/
19 APR 2021
Colombia has downgraded the threat level of one of the country's oldest criminal groups, which means fewer resources and troops will go toward fighting it.
NEWS
Closing Prisons Only Postpones Real Issues in Mexico
MEXICO
/
19 APR 2021
The shuttering of a state prison in Mexico is an unconventional response by officials trying to combat poor living conditions for inmates but this will do little to address fundamental…
NEWS
Cocaine Spike Puts Spotlight on Honduras Atlantic
CACHIROS
/
16 APR 2021
A string of bumper cocaine seizures on the Honduras Atlantic has provided a stark reminder of the region's importance in the transnational drug trade.
NEWS
The Impressive Tunnelling Skills of Mexico’s Gas Thieves
MEXICO
/
16 APR 2021
After the discovery of several elaborate tunnels used to siphon fuel to two hidden warehouses, it's clear that Mexico's gas theft rings have found success by going underground.
NEWS
What Criminals Plan Via Encrypted Messaging Services
COLOMBIA
/
15 APR 2021
The infiltration of an encrypted phone messaging service by Belgian authorities led to a record cocaine haul, showing both how such secretive communications are crucial both to those operating international…
NEWS
Fentanyl Seizures Explode Across United States
FENTANYL
/
14 APR 2021
Seizures of the deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl by customs agents in the United States have skyrocketed nationwide, underscoring potential shifts in drug markets amid the country’s ongoing opioid crisis.
NEWS
Brazil’s Emerald Exports – The Latest Revelations About Dario Messer
BRAZIL
/
14 APR 2021
Messer, the notoriously prolific money launderer, was able to move millions of dollars through Brazil’s emerald mining industry, adding yet another scheme to his laundry list of illicit financial dealings.
Colombia Decides EPL is No Longer Major Threat
COLOMBIA
/
19 APR 2021
Closing Prisons Only Postpones Real Issues in Mexico
MEXICO
/
19 APR 2021
Cocaine Spike Puts Spotlight on Honduras Atlantic
CACHIROS
/
16 APR 2021
What Criminals Plan Via Encrypted Messaging Services
COLOMBIA
/
15 APR 2021
Fentanyl Seizures Explode Across United States
FENTANYL
/
14 APR 2021
Featured Reporting and Analysis
Children serve in a wide range of roles in criminal organizations: errand boy, landmine builder, frontline combatant and assassin. In this, the second of a three-part investigation by InSight Crime…
COLOMBIA
/
8 APR 2021
As in the darkest days of Colombia's civil conflict, armed groups across the country continue to enlist and exploit teenage boys and girls. In this, the first of a three-part…
COLOMBIA
/
1 APR 2021
On the El Salvador’s eastern border, a subtle transfer of power could have seismic consequences in the underworld.
COCAÍNA
/
23 MAR 2021
An ambitious mayor, a well-connected deputy mayor, dirty cops, a corrupt judge, and a lot of marijuana. This is the story of Itatí, the sleepy town that went from religious…
ARGENTINA
/
16 MAR 2021
There were few better at money laundering than the Brazilian Dario Messer, who, while scrambling to save himself from Brazilian authorities, did one last tour of his prime refuge, Paraguay,…
BRAZIL
/
4 MAR 2021
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About InSight Crime
THE ORGANIZATION
We Have Updated Our Website
4 FEB 2021
Welcome to our new home page. We have revamped the site to create a better display and reader experience.
THE ORGANIZATION
InSight Crime Events – Border Crime: The Northern Triangle and Tri-Border Area
ARGENTINA
/
25 JAN 2021
Through several rounds of extensive field investigations, our researchers have analyzed and mapped out the main illicit economies and criminal groups present in 39 border departments spread across the six countries of study – the Northern Triangle trio of Guatemala, Honduras, and El…
BRIEF
InSight Crime’s ‘Memo Fantasma’ Investigation Wins Simón Bolívar National Journalism Prize
COLOMBIA
/
20 NOV 2020
The staff at InSight Crime was awarded the prestigious Simón Bolívar national journalism prize in Colombia for its two-year investigation into the drug trafficker known as “Memo Fantasma,” which was…
ANALYSIS
InSight Crime – From Uncovering Organized Crime to Finding What Works
COLOMBIA
/
12 NOV 2020
This project began 10 years ago as an effort to address a problem: the lack of daily coverage, investigative stories and analysis of organized crime in the Americas. …
ANALYSIS
InSight Crime – Ten Years of Investigating Organized Crime in the Americas
FEATURED
/
2 NOV 2020
In early 2009, Steven Dudley was in Medellín, Colombia. His assignment: speak to a jailed paramilitary leader in the Itagui prison, just south of the city. Following his interview inside…