Violence in Veracruz as Cartels Adapt to New Political Dynamic
The new governor of the state of Veracruz in eastern Mexico is facing cartel wars and spiraling violence after succeeding the fugitive Javier Duarte. And the disruption to the government-organized…
Elites-Backed Honduras Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 10 Years
A court in Honduras has sentenced drug trafficker José Miguel "Chepe" Handal to 10 years in prison, bringing to a halt a criminal career that connected organized crime with Honduran…
Guatemala Drug Lord Still in US Custody Amid Debate Over Mental State
The "patriarch" of drug trafficking in Guatemala, Waldemar Lorenzana, was quietly released from US prison in 2015, it has emerged, adding a new twist to a saga that has reshaped…
Honduras Narco Testifies Ex-President Took Bribes From Traffickers
One of the leaders of Honduran drug trafficking network the Cachiros has testified in court that he repeatedly bribed former President Porfirio Lobo, adding to the evidence suggesting drug traffickers…
Colombia Braces for Impact of Returning Drug Traffickers and Paramilitaries
The release of Colombian underworld boss "Perra loca" from a US prison is adding to fears that a flood of recently freed drug lords and paramilitaries could have a violent…
Bolivia Raises Coca Cultivation Limits, Widens Legal Supply-Demand Gap
Bolivia's government has agreed to raise permitted levels of legal coca production after violent protests by farmers, in a move that exacerbates the flaw in the country's otherwise largely successful…
Colombia Moves Against FARC Dissenters' Criminal Assets
Authorities in Colombia have seized close to $100 million in assets allegedly belonging to FARC dissidents, as the state begins the mammoth task of identifying and dismantling the vast illicit…
Multilateral Cooperation Positive Sign for Odebrecht Investigations
Prosecutors from 11 countries have met to coordinate their response to the Odebrecht corruption case, in an unusually strong showing of multilateral cooperation that is a positive sign for the…
Brazil to Compensate Prisoners Who Suffer From Overcrowding
Brazil's Supreme Court has ruled the state must compensate prisoners held in overcrowded conditions, in a decision that could lead to an avalanche of legal claims but is unlikely to…
Trump's Plan to Tackle Organized Crime Provides Bluster, No Substance
Donald Trump has targeted organized crime and drug cartels in a new executive order, but beyond the tough talk and bluster there is little to suggest the new US president…
Colombia's Mirror: War and Drug Trafficking in the Prison System
Drug trafficking in Colombia’s prisons isn’t only run by prisoners, but also by the authorities controlling them.
Veracruz, Mexico is LatAm's Epicenter of Violence Against Journalists
Mexico's eastern state of Veracruz became the most dangerous place for journalists in Latin America during the regime of fugitive ex-governor Javier Duarte, according to a new report that illustrates…
About InSight Crime
InSight Crime Contributes Expertise Across the Board
This week InSight Crime investigators Sara García and María Fernanda Ramírez led a discussion of the challenges posed by Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s “Total Peace” plan within urban contexts. The…
InSight Crime Cited in New Colombia Drug Policy Plan
InSight Crime’s work on emerging coca cultivation in Honduras, Guatemala, and Venezuela was cited in the Colombian government’s…
InSight Crime Discusses Honduran Women's Prison Investigation
Investigators Victoria Dittmar and María Fernanda Ramírez discussed InSight Crime’s recent investigation of a massacre in Honduras’ only women’s prison in a Twitter Spaces event on…
Human Trafficking Investigation Published in Leading Mexican Newspaper
Leading Mexican media outlet El Universal featured our most recent investigation, “The Geography of Human Trafficking on the US-Mexico Border,” on the front page of its August 30…
InSight Crime's Coverage of Ecuador Leads International Debate
This week, Jeremy McDermott, co-director of InSight Crime, was interviewed by La Sexta, a Spanish television channel, about the situation of extreme violence and insecurity in Ecuador…
Stay Informed with Weekly InSight
Get fresh updates on organized crime from across the region delivered to your inbox.
SUBSCRIBE