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…
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.