Fentanyl and 2CB, Worrying New Cocktail on Colombia's Party Circuit
A synthetic drug popular in Colombia's party scene was recently found to be laced with the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl, creating a deadly mix that has not been previously reported…
São Paulo Police Wearing Cameras Killed Nobody in June
Killings connected to a number of military police units in São Paulo fell to zero in June 2021 due to a simple innovation: body cameras.
Love Honey - The Odd Sexual Stimulant Sweeping Brazil's Party Scene
Brazil has seen its fair share of new synthetic drugs, but the latest hit, known as “love honey,” may be the strangest in a while. And despite being a cultural…
No More Masks - Jalisco Cartel Members Reveal Their Faces
A series of photos taken in a Mexican town, that has been the focal point of major criminal engagements this year, reportedly shows members of the CJNG with faces uncovered…
A Brief History of 'Rachadinha' - The Corruption Scheme Haunting Brazil's Bolsonaro
Newly leaked audio recordings have sparked a political firestorm in Brazil - linking President Jair Bolsonaro to an extortion scheme where political staffers had to give up part of their…
Violence Against Women: A Weapon for Criminals in Tibú, Colombia
Authorities and civil society alike are alarmed by how acts of criminal violence appear to be specifically targeting women in the troubled Colombian border town of Tibú.
Land Thieves Drove People From Their Homes in Rosario, Argentina
While the underworld in Rosario, Argentina, is dominated by large criminal groups like the Monos, a lower-profile group carved out a profitable land-grabbing scheme in the city over several years.
Cartel War or General Chaos: Behind the Killing Spree in Reynosa, Mexico
Though the motive for the rampage in the northern Mexican border city of Reynosa that left scores of civilians dead remains unexplained, security experts point to three possible scenarios: a…
Honduras Army Faces Backlash After Continued Prison Violence
A massacre between the Barrio 18 and MS13 gangs in Honduras’ most notorious prison raises questions on whether the military is having any impact since taking over responsibility for prison…
Eat Them or Extradite Them - What to Do With Pablo Escobar's Hippos?
Colombia's hippos are a well-documented problem. Growing astonishingly fast in number, potentially devastating to the local ecosystem and perhaps lethal to humans, plenty of solutions have been proposed.
Killing of Brazil's Top Militia Leader Raises More Questions Than it Answers
Rio de Janeiro’s foremost militia leader has been gunned down by police, potentially shattering the belief that militias in the city were protected due to connections with authorities. But was…
Haiti's Mighty G9 Gang Alliance Tries to Keep it Together
An alliance of Haitian gangs, known as G9, may be at risk as two of its founding members have fought bitterly in Port-au-Prince in recent weeks, threatening to bring further…
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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