Organized Crime and the Environment in Latin America: A Fatal Encounter
Latin America’s forests are being cut down at an accelerating rate. Asian markets are driving a trade in wildlife products, while wildcat miners decimate Amazon jungle from Peru to Guyana…
Belize Officials, Police Help Hide Drug Planes
A recent drug plane interception in Belize has unveiled the role corrupt officials have been playing in facilitating the nation's use as a transit point for cocaine.
Hide and Seek: How Drug Traffickers Get Creative at Sea
Drug traffickers engage in a creative game of hide and seek with coast guards and other security forces that board their ships at sea.
Madrid Dismantles Contract Killing, Money Laundering Network
Authorities in Madrid have dismantled part of a sophisticated network dedicated to contract killings and transnational money laundering, highlighting the autonomous community’s role as a power base for criminal groups…
Mexico’s Tourist Corridor: Dream Destination for Drug Traffickers
A recent string of high-profile drug plane interceptions suggests the once tranquil Mexican state of Quintana Roo is being increasingly relied upon as a drug trafficking hub.
Decades of Deforestation, Illegal Mining and Impunity in Nicaragua
Nicaragua's Indio Maíz Biological Reserve, on the southern border with Costa Rica, is under assault.
Cachiros Money Laundering Cells Still Operate in Honduras
Authorities in Honduras have revealed in recent months million-dollar money laundering operations connected to the Cachiros, indicating that vestiges of the drug clan continue to operate in the country despite the…
Human Smuggling Thrives Between Costa Rica and Nicaragua
Recent interceptions linked to the illicit smuggling of migrants at Nicaragua’s border with Costa Rica have illustrated the extent to which clandestine groups and individuals dedicated to the trade continue…
Why Courtroom Corruption Has Costa Rica Concerned
A string of recent arrests connecting judicial officials to drug trafficking organizations in Costa Rica have raised concerns that institutional corruption facilitating the trade is becoming more commonplace, as a…
’Tis The Season: How Drug Traffickers Get Creative At Christmas
As another Christmas passes us by, drug traffickers have been embracing the season to be jolly with open arms once again.
Social Media Used to Sell Exotic Animals in Brazil
A spate of recent operations targeting wildlife trafficking rings in Brazil have highlighted the extent to which such groups have been increasingly relying on social media platforms to facilitate their…
Argentina Turns to DNA to Fight Cattle Rustling
Officials in Argentina have been discussing how DNA testing may be used to curb cattle rustling and rural crime in Santa Fe, indicating ministers will seek to apply fresh methods…