GameChangers 2022: El Salvador's Gang Crackdown Has Steep Human Rights Cost
El Salvador's ruthless gang crackdown has led to mass incarceration and human rights abuses. But will it be replicated elsewhere?…
Brokers and US Banks: How Honduras’ Atlantic Cartel Laundered Millions
The case of a Honduran broker who laundered cartel money has shed light on the importance of US banks.
US Corruption List in Central America: More Bark, Little Bite
The US government has added dozens of individuals to a list of allegedly corrupt actors in Central America.
Is El Salvador Willing to Extradite MS13 Leaders to US or Just Playing for Time?
A turnaround in El Salvador’s position on extraditing gang members has come amid US pressure and rumblings in the criminal underworld.
The Jalisco Cartel's Quiet Expansion in Guatemala
Early investigations indicate the CJNG is striking partnerships with drug rings in Guatemala that receive shipments of cocaine from Colombia and Venezuela and deliver them to the cartel.
Will Soaring Arrests in El Salvador Overwhelm its Prisons?
As part of his sweeping gang crackdown, El Salvador President Nayib Bukele has overseen the mass imprisonment of tens of thousands of people, potentially jeopardizing recent efforts to mitigate overcrowding…
El Salvador Shifts Mano Dura Security Policies into Overdrive
With a near unprecedented wave of arrests, the El Salvador government is doubling down and expanding on heavy-handed security policies, known as mano dura, that have consistently failed to yield…
Gang Murder Rampage Sends Shockwaves Through El Salvador Government
A killing spree unlike anything seen since El Salvador’s civil war has delivered a macabre message from the country’s street gangs, which have learned that spikes in homicides speak to…
US Sanctions Up Ante in Hunt for Guatemala's Huistas
The United States government has ramped up its pursuit of one of Guatemala’s most enduring drug clans – the so-called “Huistas.”…
How Honduras' Former Top Cop May Seal Fate of Embattled Ex-President
The arrest and possible extradition of a former Honduras police chief suspected of drug trafficking could provide explosive evidence in the case against recently-detained former president Juan Orlando Hernández –…
Guatemala's Lorenzana Clan in Turmoil as Assassination Targets Third Generation
The recent assassination of a former drug lord's grandson may stem from disputes between members of a family clan already rocked by arrests and extraditions.
Barrio 18 Poses as Vendors to Pilfer El Salvador Pandemic Funds
Dozens of Barrio 18 members in El Salvador allegedly conspired with street vendors to divert pandemic relief funds.
About InSight Crime
Venezuela Coverage Continues to be Highlighted
This week, InSight Crime co-director Jeremy McDermott was the featured guest on the Americas Quarterly podcast, where he provided an expert overview of the changing dynamics…
Venezuela's Organized Crime Top 10 Attracts Attention
Last week, InSight Crime published its ranking of Venezuela’s ten organized crime groups to accompany the launch of the Venezuela Organized Crime Observatory. Read…
InSight Crime on El País Podcast
This week, InSight Crime co-founder, Jeremy McDermott, was among experts featured in an El País podcast on the progress of Colombia’s nascent peace process.
InSight Crime Interviewed by Associated Press
This week, InSight Crime’s Co-director Jeremy McDermott was interviewed by the Associated Press on developments in Haiti as the country continues its prolonged collapse. McDermott’s words were republished around the world,…
Escaping Barrio 18
Last week, InSight Crime published an investigation charting the story of Desafío, a 28-year-old Barrio 18 gang member who is desperate to escape gang life. But there’s one problem: he’s…
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