Corruption, Lack of Capacity Drive Illegal Logging in Peru: Report
A new investigation by the Associated Press has shed additional light on how corruption and lack of political will act as prime drivers of Peru's lucrative illegal logging trade, with…
Security Concerns Remain Despite Drop in Homicides in Honduras
Authorities in Honduras say that their fight against organized crime is responsible for the country's plateauing homicide rate, highlighting the complex interaction between hard-line security policies and levels of…
Panama Sliding Toward More Hardline Anti-Gang Policy?
Panama may be moving away from a softer approach to its gang problem toward a more firm-handed and potentially violent strategy resembling those of its Northern Triangle neighbors, at a…
7 Things the Trump Administration Gets Wrong About MS13
US President Donald Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions launched a rhetorical campaign this week against the MS13, one of the most violent gangs in Central America. But the verbal…
Multinational Operation Targets Major Online Child Porn Network
An operation against a child pornography network that spanned at least 18 countries in Europe and Latin America has once again underscored the difficulties of policing illegal cyber…
Police Captain Allegedly Key Part of Ecuador-Colombia Trafficking Ring
Authorities in Ecuador believe a police captain played a central role in coordinating the Ecuadorean side of one of the biggest drug trafficking networks the country has seen, highlighting the…
Dark Times in Venezuela Signal Bright Future for Organized Crime
Whatever happens following "the mother of all protests" in Venezuela on April 19, political uncertainty looks guaranteed and will be embraced by organized crime. Below, InSight Crime looks at some…
ELN Negotiator Talks Peace Progress, New Underworld Conflicts
One of the chief negotiators of Colombia's largest remaining guerrilla group, the ELN, has spoken out on the rebels' peace process and their place in the rapidly evolving Colombian underworld.
Report Analyzes Advances of Criminal Justice Reforms in Mexico
A new report by a US-based research group offers a rare look at how Mexico's judges, prosecutors and public defenders view the criminal justice system, which has traditionally struggled with…
El Salvador Vice President Engaged in ‘Money Laundering Methods’: Prosecutors
The vice president of El Salvador, Óscar Ortiz, is closer than he has claimed to the illegal activities of José Adán Salazar Umaña, alias "Chepe Diablo," who was arrested…
El Salvador Crime Boss Allegedly Laundered Money With Panama Companies
José Adán Salazar Umaña, alias "Chepe Diablo," has been accused of laundering money via shell companies in Panama, a reminder of the important role these corporate structures play for criminal…
Mexico Arrest of Fugitive Ex-Governor Is Result of Politics, Not Ethics
The capture of a fugitive ex-governor shows that Mexico is capable of netting its most wanted if there is sufficient political will. But if authorities want to eliminate the abuse…
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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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