Venezuela: Where the Traffickers Wear Military Uniforms
In Venezuela the drug traffickers wear camouflage. On the Colombian border, Colombian and Venezuelan guerrillas and the army fight for control of the drug trade. Senior military officers have also…
Bolivia Narco-Kidnapping Could Mark Growing Trend
Police in Bolivia have rescued a 13-year old child kidnapped over a drug debt, drawing attention to a crime that is likely to increase as transnational organized crime spreads and…
US Report Shows Zetas Corruption of Guatemala’s Special Forces
Newly declassified US security reports highlight how the Zetas recruited men from Guatemalan Special Forces unit the Kaibiles for use in operations in both Mexico and Guatemala, underlining concerns about…
Will Urabeños Break Peace Among Ecuador’s Crime Groups?
Colombia's principal criminal organization, the Urabeños, have marked their arrival in Ecuador with a series of killings, kidnappings and extortion of rivals as they look to establish a firm foothold…
Peru’s Cocaine Air Bridge
Peru is a mega-producer of cocaine. Alongside Colombia (with Bolivia a distant third), it exports a large percentage of the cocaine the world consumes. What has passed unnoticed during this…
US Agreement Takes Plan Colombia to a Local Level
Colombian and US officials have signed an agreement providing US law enforcement support to four Colombian municipalities, a move which signifies the increasing importance of local networks within Colombia's criminal…
Mexico’s Knights Templar Earns $73 Mn Before US Drug Profits
Mexico's Knights Templar earns more than $73 million each year outside of its drug trafficking activities, revealing the diverse criminal portfolio of the group and the difficulties authorities face in…
Cocaine Use in Peru Increases 60% in 3 Years
Drug consumption in Peru has increased significantly over the last three years, as the country undergoes the same evolution from producer nation into consumer as seen elsewhere in the region. …
Mexico Hunts For Released Drug Lord
Mexico's Supreme Court has revoked the decision by a lower court to release Rafael Caro Quintero and issued a warrant for his re-arrest, placating the US and posing questions over…
Colombia & FARC Agree But Tough Drug Question Remains
The Colombian government and Marxist guerrillas have negotiated a deal on ensuring rebel political participation, a key advance, moving the talks closer to the complex issue of the drug trade.
Seizure Highlights Guatemala’s Poor Record in Cash Smuggling
Authorities in Guatemala have almost doubled annual drug-related cash seizures by recovering $1.4 million from a car travelling in the south of the country, in a case highlighting the low…
Does Mexico’s Most Wanted List Even Exist?
The list of Mexico's 122 most wanted criminals cited by the president does not exist, according to state institutions, reviving long standing questions about transparency in Mexico's drug war. …
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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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