Brazil Broke Up 65 Criminal Gangs in Border Surge: President
Brazil has dismantled 65 criminal organizations operating on its borders since the start of a major security initiative in 2011, according to the president, though this success is tempered by…
Mexico’s Violent Crime Numbers Don’t Add Up
Murders "unrelated" to drug trafficking went up in the first four months of the current administration, according to Mexican government figures -- but does this really mean that the narcos…
Violent Crime in Quito Blamed on Drug Dealing Boom
Drug dealing is presenting a growing threat to citizen security in Ecuador, according to reports, which highlight the increasing influence of local gangs who manage domestic drug sales.
Arrested Bogota Microtrafficking Leader Linked to BACRIM
Venezuelan authorities have arrested the head of a powerful Bogota microtrafficking gang with alleged links to BACRIM groups, evidence of the cozy relationship between transnational criminal organizations and Colombia's local…
Guatemalan Authorities Seize Luxury Narco-Mansions
Guatemalan authorities have seized a series of lavish mansions belonging to a captured drug lord, taking advantage of a law allowing the government to use criminal assets to further…
‘Coyotes’ Smuggling Haitians into Brazil
Brazilian authorities have raised the alarm about human smugglers taking advantage of the mass illegal immigration wave into the country's Amazon region.
‘FARC Deserters Working As Assassins In Bolivia’
Deserters from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia and regional drug cartels are working as assassins in Bolivia, according to police, as organized crime deepens its roots in this…
Red Command Ships 1 Ton of Cocaine Monthly from Paraguay
Brazilian drug gang the Red Command sends a ton of Colombian cocaine each month into Brazil from Paraguay, according to Paraguayan authorities.
Bolivia Seizes Thousands Of Contraband Caimans
Bolivian police have seized 5,000 baby caimans and 500 skins ready to be smuggled to Brazil, evidence of the regional trade in contraband wildlife.
Cartes Wins Paraguay’s Presidency, Despite Alleged Criminal Links
Paraguay's presidential elections saw a comfortable win for Horacio Cartes, a business magnate whose questionable past could spell trouble for this South American nation, and the regional fight against…
Why Mexico’s Zetas Expanded Faster than their Rivals
The Zetas are not the only extremely violent, military-style criminal organization from Mexico. Yet, they are the only one that operates in 350 Mexican municipalities, as well as numerous others…
Colombian Gangs Force Children to Pay to Attend School
Colombian street gangs have taken to extorting school children for the right to attend school, highlighting the increasingly widespread nature of the crime and its impact on daily life in…
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InSight Crime Events – Border Crime: The Northern Triangle and Tri-Border Area
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…
InSight Crime’s ‘Memo Fantasma’ Investigation Wins Simón Bolívar National Journalism Prize
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…
InSight Crime – From Uncovering Organized Crime to Finding What Works
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. …
InSight Crime – Ten Years of Investigating Organized Crime in the Americas
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…
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