‘Shyboy,’ the Mysterious Spokesman of El Salvador’s MS503
The Salvadoran government is assuring that there exists a profound division within the Mara Salvatrucha, provoked by a dissident group, MS503 or ‘Programa 503’. Every time there is a…
Inside Paraguay’s Illegal Cannabis Plantations
Cowboy hats and flasks adorned with imitation jaguar and snakeskin prints dot the market of the Paraguayan border town of Pedro Juan Caballero. Cross the two-lane avenue outside and one…
How Peru Spent Its Anti-Drug Budget Over the Past Five Years
Between 2012 and 2017, less than 11 percent of Peru’s $650 million anti-narcotic expenditure was received by the Dirandro, Peru’s anti-narcotic police, while nearly half the budget was consumed by…
The ‘Nannies’ of El Salvador’s Barrio 18
In a neighborhood outside of El Salvador’s capital San Salvador, Barrio 18 gang members are forcing women to take care of their children while they or their partner are in…
In Brazil, Religious Gang Leaders Say They’re Waging a Holy War
The expression “evangelical drug trafficker” may sound incongruous, but in Rio de Janeiro, it’s an increasingly familiar phenomenon. Charismatic Christianity is on the rise…
InSight Crime’s Favorite Fan Mail of 2017
As 2017 comes to a close, InSight Crime takes a look back at some of our favorite interactions with our audience this year. Some are genuinely nice notes of thanks…
Colombia Arrests Top Figure in Medellín Underworld, but Impact Likely Limited
The recent arrest of one of the top criminal figures in Medellín, Colombia, is unlikely to have a major impact on the city's underworld, but it could incentivize other suspects…
Is ‘Narco Nephews’ Sentencing a Political Message to Venezuela?
The sentence handed down in a US court to nephews of Venezuela’s first lady is anything but lenient, and it seems to be a diplomatic message to President Nicolás Maduro’s…
Colombia Sends Mixed Messages on 2018 Coca Eradication Goal
The government of Colombia has issued seemingly contradictory statements regarding the amount of coca it aims to forcibly eradicate next year.
New Study Offers Insight Into Zeta Tyranny
A new study of the Zetas’ operations in northern Mexico offers a detailed examination of the roots of the organization’s power as well as the extent of its reign of…
Could an Amnesty in Mexico Reduce Violence?
An improvised response from Mexico’s leading presidential candidate has renewed a complex debate about the need for effective strategies to reduce violence generated by drug trafficking and organized crime.
Video: Colombia’s Wounded Urabeños Seek a Way Out
Colombia’s wounded Urabeños group has announced a unilateral ceasefire in its latest bid to negotiate with the government. InSight Crime Co-Directors Steven Dudley and Jeremy McDermott discussed the potential ramifications…
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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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