Local drug sales in Sinaloa’s capital city are controlled by one of the most notorious and powerful organized crime families in Mexico.
The Inescapable Prison of Barrio 18 in Honduras
INVESTIGATIONS / 17 JAN 2023
To Desafio, the Barrio 18 gang in Honduras was everything. It provided a family, a sense of belonging. Until his life grew increasingly violent.
NEWS
CJNG Control of Illegal Mining in Michoacán, Mexico, Claiming Indigenous Lives
ILLEGAL MINING /
27 JAN 2023 
With cartels like the CJNG muscling in on illegal mining in Michoacán, Mexico, Indigenous community members continue to suffer.
NEWS
Otoniel Pleads Guilty: Farewell to Colombia's Last Kingpin
COLOMBIA /
26 JAN 2023
Otoniel, the fallen head of the Urabeños crime syndicate, has pleaded guilty in New York. His trial will mark the end of an era.
NEWS
Ecuador's Navy Grappling With Mounting Evidence of Criminal Collusion
COCAINE /
26 JAN 2023
Corrupt Navy troops in Ecuador can be highly useful for drug traffickers, either to protect cocaine shipments or to simply let them pass.
NEWS
Caribbean Nations Call for US Gun Crackdown as Murder Rates Soar
ARMS TRAFFICKING /
24 JAN 2023
As American-made guns continue to flood the Caribbean, heads of state are demanding that the US do more to stem the flow of weapons.
NEWS
Jamaica Seizing Ever-Larger Cocaine Shipments from Colombia
COCAINE /
23 JAN 2023
A string of large cocaine seizures in Jamaica suggests the island is becoming a central hub for trafficking to the United States and Europe.
NEWS
Nature Under Threat in Ecuador as Gold Miners Target National Park
ECUADOR /
20 JAN 2023
Podocarpus Natural Park in southern Ecuador is only the most recent one to be threatened by encroaching gold miners.
NEWS
Chile's Copper Industry Under Siege as Robbers Attack Ports and Trains
CHILE /
19 JAN 2023
Chile's lucrative copper industry is beleaguered by daring attacks on trains carrying tons of copper through the desert.
NEWS
Venezuela's Police Reform Unlikely to Halt Corrupt Ties to Organized Crime
POLICE REFORM /
18 JAN 2023
A long-touted police reform in Venezuela would likely have a limited impact on rampant corruption in the ranks.
NEWS
Trial of Mexico's Former Top Cop May Shine Light on Weaknesses of US Drug War
COCAINE /
17 JAN 2023
The trial of Mexico’s former top public security official will reveal shortcomings in the fight against organized crime.
NEWS
Reports of Brazil's PCC Taking Over Portugal Cocaine Trade Remain Unfounded
BRAZIL /
16 JAN 2023
Record seizures of cocaine in Portugal have raised fears Brazil's PCC may be getting increasingly involved.
Featured Reporting and Analysis
The shift from plant-based to synthetic drugs has upended the relationship between small farmers and crime groups in Mexico’s Golden Triangle.
MARIJUANA /
6 DEC 2022
Colombian President Gustavo Petro's Total Peace plan faces a very tough road ahead. Can over 20 criminal groups really all commit to peace?…
COLOMBIA /
28 DEC 2022
El Salvador's ruthless gang crackdown has led to mass incarceration and human rights abuses. But will it be replicated elsewhere?…
BARRIO 18 /
26 DEC 2022
To Desafio, the Barrio 18 gang in Honduras was everything. It provided a family, a sense of belonging. Until his life grew increasingly violent.
BARRIO 18 /
17 JAN 2023
In response to changes in the international marijuana trade, Mexico-based drug trafficking groups have shifted their strategies.
CHAPITOS /
6 DEC 2022
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About InSight Crime
THE ORGANIZATION
Europe Coverage Makes a Splash
20 JAN 2023
Last week, InSight Crime published an analysis of the role of Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport as an arrival hub for cocaine and methamphetamine from Mexico. The article was picked up by…
THE ORGANIZATION
World Looks to InSight Crime for Mexico Expertise
13 JAN 2023
Our coverage of the arrest of Chapitos’ co-founder Ovidio Guzmán López in Mexico has received worldwide attention.In the UK, outlets including The Independent and BBC…
THE ORGANIZATION
InSight Crime Shares Expertise with US State Department
16 DEC 2022
Last week, InSight Crime Co-founder Steven Dudley took part in the International Anti-Corruption Conference organized by the US State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, & Labor and…
THE ORGANIZATION
Immediate Response to US-Mexico Marijuana Investigation
9 DEC 2022
InSight Crime’s investigation into how the legalization of marijuana in many US states has changed Mexico’s criminal dynamics made a splash this week appearing on the front page of…
THE ORGANIZATION
‘Ndrangheta Investigation, Exclusive Interview With Suriname President Make Waves
2 DEC 2022
Two weeks ago, InSight Crime published an investigation into how Italian mafia clan the ‘Ndrangheta built a cocaine trafficking network from South America to ‘Ndrangheta-controlled Italian ports. The investigation generated…