Pockets of Rising Violence in Rural Colombia Despite National Drop in Murders
While Colombia boasts its lowest homicide rate in nearly half a century, pockets of spiking violence in several rural areas tell a different story -- that of armed groups struggling…
After Death of Number Two, Colombia's Urabeños Offer to Surrender
The most wanted drug trafficker in Colombia and leader of the powerful Urabeños has offered to surrender himself and his organization to authorities just days after his number two was…
The FARC's Riches: Millions Apparently Lost to Dissidents
Formerly the Western Hemisphere's largest guerrilla organization, Colombia's FARC has compiled a full inventory of their wealth following half a century of conflict and entrenchment in criminal activities. A front-by-front…
The FARC's Riches: List of Assets Fails to Reveal Guerrillas' Total Wealth
Colombia's demobilized FARC have finally revealed their official list of assets -- worth hundreds of millions of dollars -- but the country's top prosecutor has already lambasted the "useless" inventory,…
El Salvador Police Using WhatsApp, Facebook to Run Death Squads
As part of a broader investigation detailing abuses by police in El Salvador, news outlet Factum describes how officers have used social media to coordinate and discuss extrajudicial…
Colombia's FARC Finalize Disarmament Today. What's Next?
August 15 is the final day of the historic disarmament of Colombia's FARC rebels, paving the way for the next crucial part of the peace process: successfully reintegrating them into…
Head of Copycat MS13 Offshoot Captured in Peru
The capture of the head of Peru's own "Mara Salvatrucha" is likely an example of Central America's MS13 inspiring similar -- but probably unconnected -- criminal operations far from home.
US Warns Differences on FARC Peace Could Cause Relationship 'Problems' With Colombia
A top US anti-drug official has cautioned that "bilateral political problems" could result from differences of opinion between the United States and Colombia about how to deal with rising cocaine…
Despite Peace Talks, Colombia’s ELN Guerrillas Continue Expansion
When Latin America's oldest insurgency, the FARC, officially becomes a political party, their cousins in the ELN will assume the status of Colombia's most powerful guerrilla army. But while the…
New US Sanctions Hit Top Venezuela Officials With Criminal Ties
The latest round of sanctions by the United States against high-ranking Venezuelan officials claim to punish human rights abuses, but several of these powerful figures have also contributed to the…
8 Months In, Concerns Linger as Colombia's FARC Peace Process Advances
A new report on the main successes and shortcomings of Colombia's historic peace process with the FARC guerrilla group shows that rural violence and politics continue to be major obstacles…
Europe Feeling Effects of Cocaine and Opioid Crises: Report
A new report indicates that the availability of cocaine and synthetic opioids is on the rise in Europe, a sign that the continent is feeling the effects of dangerous drug…
About InSight Crime
Criminal Enterprise on the High Seas
Last week, InSight Crime published the second half of an extensive investigation into Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing that plagues the waters of nine Latin American countries. Among the stories were how…
Oceans Pillaged in Central America and the Caribbean
Last week, InSight Crime published the first installment of a nine-part investigation uncovering the hidden depths of Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing in Latin America. The first installment covered Central America and…
Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua Becomes Truly Transnational
This week, InSight Crime published a deep dive into the total control that Venezuelan mega-gang, Tren de Aragua, has over the lives of those it smuggles between Venezuela and Chile…
Turkish Traffickers Delivering Latin American Cocaine to Persian Gulf
Last week, InSight Crime published the second half of an investigation piecing together the emerging role of Turkish cocaine traffickers in supplying Russia and the Persian Gulf, which are among…
Turkey as a Lynchpin in European Cocaine Pipeline
InSight Crime is extending its investigation into the cocaine pipeline to Europe, and tracking the growing connections between Latin American drug traffickers and European criminal organizations. This led us to…
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