The Increasingly Busy Cuba-Uruguay Human Smuggling Route
Uruguay has dismantled a group dedicated to bringing Cuban migrants illegally to the country, highlighting a lesser-known human smuggling route.
Memo Fantasma Properties in Colombia Used to Compensate Victims of Violence
Dozens of properties and other assets seized from Memo Fantasma, one of Colombia’s foremost drug traffickers, will be used to provide support for those who have suffered from violence in…
Is Dominican Republic Making Gains in Anti-Corruption Fight?
The dismantling of a drug trafficking and money laundering network implicating government officials in the Dominican Republic has presented a serious challenge to President Luis Abinader’s anti-corruption drive.
Haiti’s Neighbors Grow Concerned at Spread of Gang Governance
International efforts to help Haiti since the devastating August 14 earthquake continue to be hampered by gang violence, with reports now emerging that ships carrying emergency aid from Mexico were…
How Mexico's Cartels Have Learned Military Tactics
As violence has continued to rise in Mexico year after year, criminal groups have adopted an increasingly militarized approach to their tactics, weaponry and training.
The Descent into Madness of Brazil’s Bank Robberies
The pictures shocked Brazil and the world. Bank robbers fleeing the scene at high speed in their getaway vehicle, with hostages strapped to the roof and hood. The videos are…
Indigenous Latest to Suffer Plague of Disappearances in Sonora, Mexico
The ongoing search for members of Mexico’s Yaqui Indigenous community, missing for well over a month, has become a rallying cry for activists pointing to the shocking number of disappearances…
Chile Loggers Try New Rules to Crack Down on Illegal Timber
Faced with endemic timber theft and uneven government enforcement, logging companies in Chile have agreed to new guidelines meant to cut down on the sale of illegal wood.
Colombia's Cocaine Keeps On Reaching New Heights: UNODC Report
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…
Is Colombia’s Military Deployment Playing into FARC Dissidents’ Hands?
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…
Fishing Cooperatives Used to Mask Drug Shipments into Mexico
Mexico's largest criminal groups are outsourcing the retrieval of cocaine shipments to smaller groups posing as fishing cooperatives, providing another example of how maritime infrastructure is subverted by the drug…
Fake Vaccination Certificates: The Next COVID-19 Forgery in Mexico
After peddling fake tests and vaccines for the coronavirus, criminals are now selling counterfeit vaccination certificates in Mexico City, allowing their customers to lie about their vaccine status and travel…