Haiti's Kidnapping Crisis Grows Ever More Desperate in 2022
Kidnappings in Haiti have increased during the first three months of 2022, continuing a grim surge that began last year and may in large part be the result of the…
How TikTok Shows Untold Truths of Communities Linked to Drug Trafficking
Millions of young people around the world document their experiences at work, at school or with their friends on TikTok.
Brazil's Southern Port of Paranaguá Offers Alternative Route for Europe Cocaine
The culmination of a three-year investigation has showcased the important role Brazil’s southern port of Paranaguá plays in supplying cocaine to Europe, with gangs there in close contact with Italian…
Ecuador's Fishermen Face Death or Despair From Constant Pirate Attacks
Rampant piracy along Ecuador’s coastal provinces is forcing hundreds of fishermen to leave their profession and the sea out of fear for their lives.
Uruguay Asks Difficult Questions About Italian Mobster's Jailbreak
Rocco Morabito’s story has all the makings of a great film script. The Italian mob, tons of cocaine, exotic destinations, a daring prison escape. But as his legal wranglings finally…
How Local Political Support Gives Illegal Miners Carte Blanche in Brazil's Amazon
An alleged deal between government officials and illegal miners in Brazil’s Amazon led to the latter being provided with weapons in order to better secure their illicit earnings and fend…
Bodies Hanging from Bridges - Where Mexico Led, Ecuador Follows
The discovery of two bodies hanging from a bridge in Ecuador may be the starkest sign yet of the country’s accelerated spiral into violence, including copying the worst excesses seen…
Safehouses, Bodyguards and Fake ID - Panama's Top Drug Trafficker on the Run
The leader of Panama’s largest drug trafficking group has been arrested in Costa Rica and is set to be extradited to the United States, although this is unlikely to heavily…
Murders Soar as Venezuela Police Hunt for Wilexis Yet Again
A powerful Caracas gang has imposed a curfew after police raids left a dozen people dead – another example of how attempts to root out the gang have led to…
At Nightfall, Cocaine Extractors Move Through Port of Rotterdam
With ports around the world seizing more cocaine than ever, drug traffickers have come up with a new method to access the drug: infiltrate the ports by hiding inside empty…
How the MS13 Became Lords of the Trash Dump in Honduras
Where Honduras ends, there are no borders, no guards, no gate post. This is where a nation vanishes with no fanfare.
Brazil Police Target Legacy of Infamous Drug Trafficker, Fernandinho Beira-Mar
The death of a top Red Command leader near Rio de Janeiro raises questions about the success of coordinated attempts to weaken one of Brazil’s toughest gangs, both materially and…
About InSight Crime
Who Are Memo Fantasma and Sergio Roberto de Carvalho?
Inside the criminal career of Memo Fantasma In March 2020, InSight Crime revealed the identity and whereabouts of Memo Fantasma, a paramilitary commander and drug trafficker living in…
Environmental and Academic Praise
InSight Crime’s six-part series on the plunder of the Peruvian Amazon continues to inform the debate on environmental security in the region. Our Environmental Crimes Project Manager, María Fernanda Ramírez,…
Series on Plunder of Peru’s Amazon Makes Headlines
Since launching on June 2, InSight Crime’s six-part series on environmental crime in Peru’s Amazon has been well-received. Detailing the shocking impunity enjoyed by those plundering the rainforest, the investigation…
Duarte’s Death Makes Waves
The announcement of the death of Gentil Duarte, one of the top dissident commanders of the defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), continues to reverberate in Venezuela and Colombia.
Cattle Trafficking Acclaim, Investigation into Peru’s Amazon
On May 18, InSight Crime launched its most recent investigation into cattle trafficking between Central America and Mexico. It showed precisely how beef, illicitly produced in Honduras, Guatemala…
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