Why South America’s Armies Are Losing the War for the Amazon
Brazil, Colombia and Peru have deployed their armies to fight deforestation and other crimes in the Amazon rainforest.
Haiti Massacres Reveal Active Gang Support from Police, Officials
A new report by Harvard Law School and a Haitian crime observatory has confirmed government officials and police actively facilitated a series of gang-led attacks in the Caribbean nation, showing…
Brazil’s Cheaper Exotic Fish Still Targeted by Traffickers
US and Brazilian authorities have identified an international network dedicated to the smuggling of prized species of killifish, illuminating Brazil’s role in the global trade.
Brazil’s PCC Scared Rival Kingpin into Surrendering to Police
Fahd Jamil Georges, a veteran drug trafficker along the Paraguay-Brazil border, said he surrendered to authorities after being threatened by the PCC -- a reminder of how completely the Brazilian…
Land Trafficking Fuels Constant Corruption in Bolivia
The arrest of an acting government minister in Bolivia has reinforced how land trafficking in the nation is fueled by a strong undercurrent of corruption, time and time again.
Report: Soaring Disappearances in El Salvador Linked to Gang Pacts
A recently published report warns that pacts made between gangs and public officials to lower homicides in El Salvador will only promote the wider use of forced disappearances…
US Announcement Against Corrupt Paraguay Official May Signal Shift
Recent punitive action taken by the United States against Paraguayan officials has reinforced how far corruption underpins the South American nation’s thriving trade in drugs.
Digging Into Dirty Gold Across the Americas
Illegal gold mining is devastating South America's jungles. The trade has been destroying large swaths of forest and flooding rivers with toxic mercury at an alarming rate.
A Large Galápagos Tortoise Seizure Raises Red Flags
Authorities in Ecuador have seized close to 200 baby tortoises native to the Galápagos Islands that are coveted in the exotic reptile trade.
Police in Brazil Net Mass Seizure of Ornamental Fish
Authorities in Brazil have seized thousands of live freshwater fish native to the country’s Amazon region that are commonly seen in the aquarium trade.
Tides Are Turning: First Europe-Built ‘Narco-Sub’ Seized in Spain
Authorities in Europe — already overwhelmed by a flood of cocaine arriving in cargo ships — now must face another smuggling method that has bedeviled law enforcement in the Americas:…
Brazil’s Mining Regulator No Match For Illegal Gold Rush
The Brazilian agency that inspects mining sites and seizes illegally mined ore is vastly understaffed, a consequence of a government that has given free rein to the mining sector.
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InSight Crime Events – Border Crime: The Northern Triangle and Tri-Border Area
Through several rounds of extensive field investigations, our researchers have analyzed and mapped out the main illicit economies and criminal groups present in 39 border departments spread across the six countries of study – the Northern Triangle trio of Guatemala, Honduras, and El…
InSight Crime’s ‘Memo Fantasma’ Investigation Wins Simón Bolívar National Journalism Prize
The staff at InSight Crime was awarded the prestigious Simón Bolívar national journalism prize in Colombia for its two-year investigation into the drug trafficker known as “Memo Fantasma,” which was…
InSight Crime – From Uncovering Organized Crime to Finding What Works
This project began 10 years ago as an effort to address a problem: the lack of daily coverage, investigative stories and analysis of organized crime in the Americas. …
InSight Crime – Ten Years of Investigating Organized Crime in the Americas
In early 2009, Steven Dudley was in Medellín, Colombia. His assignment: speak to a jailed paramilitary leader in the Itagui prison, just south of the city. Following his interview inside…
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