Drug Seizures Spike Along Paraguay’s Border With Bolivia
Cocaine seizures along Paraguay’s border with Bolivia have tripled, bolstering fears that this forest hinterland has become a haven for drug smugglers.
Ex-FARC Mafia's 1st Front Close to Controlling Colombia's Putumayo
A powerful FARC dissident front is fortifying its presence in the southwestern department of Putumayo, a former guerrilla stronghold, a region dense with coca crops, and a lynchpin in the…
Colombia-Venezuela Border Reopens, But Hidden Trails Still Hotspots
The reopening of a major Colombia-Venezuela border crossing is an important step to stop Venezuelans from trekking across remote trails where they are easily extorted by armed groups. But it's…
Colombia Flooded with Black Market Cigarettes
US tobacco giant Philip Morris has shut down its two factories in Colombia partly because of illegal cigarette sales, highlighting a spike in contraband cigarettes.
El Salvador Flirts with 'Mano Dura' Security Policies Again
The new administration of El Salvador President Nayib Bukele has already shown that it will adopt hardline measures to combat the MS13 and Barrio 18 street gangs -- measures that…
Deadly Riot Shows Paraguay Prisons Unprepared for PCC Onslaught
Ten inmates in a Paraguay prison were killed by PCC gang members, in a brutal assault that makes clear that the small country’s penitentiary system cannot…
Los Pachenca Leader Killed, Casting Doubt on Colombia Group’s Future
The killing of the principal leader of Colombia’s “Los Pachenca” criminal group, as well as high-level arrests within the group, is generating doubts about the organization’s future.
Venezuela Disease Outbreaks Reveal Criminal Migration to Illegal Gold Mines
Outbreaks of malaria and diphtheria in a region of Venezuela where these diseases are rare has revealed how armed groups are organizing a vast migration to illegal mines.
Illegal Mining Crackdown May Push Peru’s Former Miners to Coca, Timber
Authorities in Peru say they have successfully driven illegal gold mining out of the Amazon, but will other illegal economies take its place?…
Pro-Government Guerrillas Mix Political, Criminal Interests in Venezuela
Pro-government guerrillas in Venezuela have begun training civilians in armed combat, showing the symbiotic relationship between embattled President Nicolás…
Arrests Uncover Alliance Among Top Colombian Mafias
Members of some of Colombia’s most notorious crime organizations teamed up to traffic about three tons of cocaine, revealing a fascinating high-profile alliance.
MS13 Grows Extortion Empire Through Honduras Mototaxi Fleet
The MS13 in Honduras has gone from shaking down motorcycle taxi drivers to owning fleets of the bikes and controlling the organizations that license them, showing the evolution of the…
About InSight Crime
Unraveling the Web of Elites Connected to Organized Crime
InSight Crime published Elites and Organized Crime in Nicaragua, a deep dive into the relationships between criminal actors and elites in that Central American nation.
InSight Crime’s Greater Focus on US-Mexico Border
InSight Crime has decided to turn many of its investigative resources towards understanding and chronicling the criminal dynamics along the US-Mexico border.
Key Arrests and Police Budget Increases Due to InSight Crime Investigations
With Memo Fantasma’s arrest, InSight Crime has proven that our investigations can and will uncover major criminal threats in the Americas.
Organized Crime’s Influence on Gender-Based Violence
InSight Crime investigator Laura N. Ávila spoke on organized crime and gender-based violence at the launch of a research project by the United Nations Development Programme.
Conversation with Paraguay Judicial Operators on PCC
InSight Crime Co-director Steven Dudley formed part of a panel attended by over 500 students, all of whom work in Paraguay's judicial system.
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