The murder of a prominent folk singer in Guatemala thrust a Nicaraguan nightclub owner into the spotlight and revealed an illicit drug trafficking network that stretched from Colombia to Mexico.
Nicaragua Elites and Organized Crime
INVESTIGATIONS
/ 15 JUL 2021
Nicaragua has long been able to keep homicide rates down, burnishing the country’s anti-crime reputation. But as these case studies illustrate, the most sophisticated criminal groups often operate with a…
NEWS
Extermination Sites - The New Depths of Mexico's Disappearance Crisis
HUMAN RIGHTS
/
4 AUG 2021
Families combing for clues about their vanished loved ones at recently discovered extermination sites in northern Mexico have turned to local cartel leaders for help - revealing their desperation to…
NEWS
3 Takeaways from Jovenel Moïse’s Murder Investigation in Haiti
CARIBBEAN
/
3 AUG 2021
Nearly a month after the midnight assassination of former Haiti President Jovenel Moïse, many of the details about the murder plot remain murky despite scores of arrests.
NEWS
A Blend of Family and Politics in Guatemala's Cocaine Trade
COCAINE
/
3 AUG 2021
An anti-narcotics operation in western Guatemala has shed further light on how families involved in local politics can play a pivotal role in the regional cocaine trade.
NEWS
How Dominican Gangs Became Major Security Threat in Spain
CRIMINAL MIGRATION
/
2 AUG 2021
Spiraling violence around Madrid is being blamed on the fracturing and spread of Dominican gangs, which have become Spain's primary urban security threat.
NEWS
Guns in the Gulf – Mexico’s Navy Called to Protect Against Pirates
MEXICO
/
2 AUG 2021
After a spate of attacks on oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico this year, the shipping industry is demanding protection, including a stronger presence from the Mexican Navy.
NEWS
How Many Creepy-Crawlies Can a Trafficker Hide in His Luggage?
BRAZIL
/
30 JUL 2021
There is one crucial quality for any successful wildlife trafficker: tenacity. And Kirill Kravchenko had it in spades.
NEWS
Colombia's Cocaine Keeps On Reaching New Heights: UNODC Report
COCAÍNA
/
30 JUL 2021
While the amount of coca crops in Colombia has dipped for the third year, the country's cocaine production continues to reach record highs, according to new figures from the United…
NEWS
Is Colombia’s Military Deployment Playing into FARC Dissidents’ Hands?
COLOMBIA
/
29 JUL 2021
Colombia’s announcement of a large-scale military deployment to Norte de Santander, one of its most complex criminal hotspots, has thrust a relatively small-scale criminal actor, the 33rd Front, to national…
NEWS
Brazilian Authorities Clamp Down on Cattle Theft
BRAZIL
/
29 JUL 2021
A number of arrests made to tackle a sophisticated cattle rustling operation in Brazil have suggested authorities are stepping up efforts to target the crime.
NEWS
Drug Gangs, Thieves Team Up for Violent Cargo Robberies in Rio
BRAZIL
/
28 JUL 2021
A cargo-theft ring in Rio de Janeiro partnered with a drug gang to steal millions of dollars’ worth of goods, showing how criminal actors in Brazil come together to commit…
Featured Reporting and Analysis
In the process of expanding their influence, criminal groups often develop close ties with elites in an effort to gain protection and access to better resources. This facet of transnational…
ELITES AND CRIME
/
15 JUL 2021
El Coqui seemed to be comfortable. Caracas’ foremost gang boss had, for several years, dominated the sprawling neighborhood of Cota 905, a densely packed and poor part of western Caracas.
COLECTIVOS
/
25 JUN 2021
Convulsed by nearly eight weeks of anti-government protests, the Colombian city of Cali has also experienced a terrible surge in murders.
COLOMBIA
/
28 JUN 2021
Nicaraguan Fisherman Ted Hayman Forbes and his drug trafficking network operated from Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and the Colombian island of San Andres in the Caribbean. His capture and sentencing…
COCAINE
/
15 JUL 2021
Two days on from the nighttime assassination of Haiti President Jovenel Moïse in Port-au-Prince, competing theories have failed to provide any real motive for the high-profile hit.
CARIBBEAN
/
9 JUL 2021
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InDepth
Brazilian Authorities Clamp Down on Cattle Theft
BRAZIL
/ 29 JUL 2021
Is Venezuela Getting Serious About Unseating El Koki?
EL KOKI
/ 13 JUL 2021
About InSight Crime
THE ORGANIZATION
Unraveling the Web of Elites Connected to Organized Crime
27 JUL 2021
InSight Crime published Elites and Organized Crime in Nicaragua, a deep dive into the relationships between criminal actors and elites in that Central American nation.
THE ORGANIZATION
InSight Crime’s Greater Focus on US-Mexico Border
20 JUL 2021
InSight Crime has decided to turn many of its investigative resources towards understanding and chronicling the criminal dynamics along the US-Mexico border.
THE ORGANIZATION
Key Arrests and Police Budget Increases Due to InSight Crime Investigations
8 JUL 2021
With Memo Fantasma’s arrest, InSight Crime has proven that our investigations can and will uncover major criminal threats in the Americas.
THE ORGANIZATION
Organized Crime’s Influence on Gender-Based Violence
30 JUN 2021
InSight Crime investigator Laura N. Ávila spoke on organized crime and gender-based violence at the launch of a research project by the United Nations Development Programme.
THE ORGANIZATION
Conversation with Paraguay Judicial Operators on PCC
24 JUN 2021
InSight Crime Co-director Steven Dudley formed part of a panel attended by over 500 students, all of whom work in Paraguay's judicial system.