Brazil’s Biggest Gang Sets Sights on Regional Expansion
A slew of recent reports indicates Brazil's PCC is stepping up its criminal activities in countries throughout South America, which one expert says is a clear sign that the fearsome…
Military Commander’s Firing Highlights Failures in Combating Paraguay Rebels
Paraguay's task force targeting the EPP guerrilla group has been assigned its seventh commander in less than four years, a sign of the country's failure to defeat the small rebel…
How Panama’s Criminal Landscape Has Changed Since the Days of Narco-Dictator Noriega
Deceased Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega was said to have turned his country into one of the most emblematic examples of a "narco-state" in Latin American history, and his dealings with…
Should Mexico Follow Colombia’s Example in Combating Fuel Theft?
Colombia's finance minister said Mexico should look to the South American country as an example to follow in the fight against fuel theft, but the statement raises questions about how…
Economic Development and Organized Crime: The Two Faces of Urabá, Colombia
The Gulf of Urabá boasts 323 kilometers of porous, thick, and deep coast dominated by the whim of the so-called Gaitanista Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, also known as the Urabeños;…
What Can Bolivia Teach Post-Conflict Colombia About Coca Reduction?
A new report by an advocacy group based in Bolivia details how the Andean nation's failed experiences with forced coca eradication can be used as a lesson for Colombia, which…
Mexico Police Killings Illustrate Failures of Vigilantism in Michoacán
Police forces in Mexico's state of Michoacán have increasingly been subject to attacks, a reminder of the ongoing security crisis affecting the region and the government's shortsighted response to local…
Argentina to Expand Drug Treatment Program for Minor Crimes Nationwide
Argentina's national government is scaling up a pilot project that provides treatment instead of incarceration for drug addicts accused of minor crimes, an initiative that could contribute to lower rates…
Drug Seizures in Tumaco Make the ‘Pacific Pearl’ Colombia’s Cocaine Capital
A huge percentage of Colombia's soaring cocaine production has apparently passed through a single municipality, Tumaco, over the first few months of year. What makes this region so strategic, and…
What the DEA Can Learn From the Honduras Debacle
A new US government report documents a series of missteps related to several deadly anti-drug actions in 2012 involving US law enforcement in Honduras, a strong reminder of the need…
Barrio 18 Members Sentenced to 390 Years for El Salvador Massacre
Seven gang members were each condemned to 390 years in prison for the murder of eleven people in El Salvador -- a symbolic judgement involving a massacre that was instrumental…
Massive Jail Break Highlights Ongoing Turmoil in Brazil’s Prisons
Nearly 90 alleged gang members escaped from a prison in northern Brazil, yet another illustration of how criminal groups have usurped control of the country's prison system, a problem exacerbated…
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InSight Crime is looking for a full-time strategic communications manager. This person needs to be able to work in a fast-paced world of daily news, high-profile investigations, national and international…
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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. …
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