Study Sheds New Light on Roots of Mexico Cartel Wars
A new study from two leading researchers ties Mexico's current security crisis to the unforeseen consequences of the nation's democratic opening.
El Salvador Struggles to Enforce Regulations on Private Security Firms
Police in El Salvador say that a legal technicality is preventing them from holding private security agencies accountable for offenses they commit, highlighting the difficulty of ensuring sufficient oversight…
Brazil Lacks Coherent Plan to Deal With ‘National Emergency’ of Insecurity
Brazil's president has described a deepening, nationwide crisis of insecurity as a "national emergency." But contrary to official rhetoric, the government does not appear to have a coherent plan…
Tentacles of Organized Crime in Mexico Extend to Octopus Theft
More than a dozen trailers transporting multi-ton shipments of frozen octopus have been reported stolen in Mexico in the last month, illustrating how crime groups are constantly seeking new…
New Plan for Tumaco, Colombia Is Just Old Plan Repackaged
Surrounded by several of his ministers, Colombia President Juan Manuel Santos announced October 21 that "9,000 police and military" would fight against drug trafficking and crime in Tumaco…
Was Mexico President’s 2012 Campaign Funded by Odebrecht?
New documents have reportedly revealed that Mexico President Enrique Peña Nieto had his 2012 presidential campaign financed in part by a subsidiary of the Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht, raising…
Guatemala Arrests, Charges Local Officials for Embezzlement
Guatemala prosecutors arrested a group of local officials who they say carried out a popular and juicy embezzlement scheme: the illegal attribution of government construction contracts in exchange for kickbacks.
In Mexico: A Kidnapping, a Negotiation, then an ‘Escape’
A criminal group in Mexico reportedly kidnapped a prison director and his son to use as a bargaining chip for the release of two of the group's members, a…
Weekly InSight: The DEA and the Heroin Crisis in the United States
In our October 26 Facebook Live session, InSight Crime Co-director Steven Dudley and "Dreamland" author Sam Quinones discussed the homegrown opioid and heroin crisis in…
Sinaloa Cartel Drug Money Behind Colombia’s Biggest-Ever Contraband Sting
Merchandise seized during Colombia's largest-ever anti-contraband operation was allegedly linked to the Sinaloa Cartel, an apparent illustration of the importance of trade-based money laundering for drug trafficking groups in the…
US Makes Commercial Move to Reduce Illegal Logging in Peru
The United States has blocked imports from a Peru timber exporter suspected of illegal logging in a move that is the first of its kind. But the impact of the…
Greatest Drug Threat to the United States Is Homegrown: DEA
The homegrown problem of prescription painkiller abuse continues to be the biggest, deadliest drug threat to the United States, according to the DEA's latest National Drug Threat Assessment report. The…
About InSight Crime
Strategic Communications Manager Job Description
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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