Police Links to Drug Trafficking Endemic in Paraguay
Nearly two dozen police officers in Paraguay are accused of protecting a transnational drug smuggling ring led by a Brazilian trafficker, providing renewed evidence of the profound corruption within the…
Mexico, Colombia Drug Raids Reveal Human Skulls, Saints, and Spells
An altar laden with human skulls and bones was used by a powerful Mexico City gang in the worship of Santa Muerte, a death cult that has drug trade devotees.
Tugboat Off Aruba Coast Hides More Than Just Cocaine
The journey of a mysterious tugboat seized off the coast of Aruba with two tons of cocaine onboard offers clues about smuggling methods and the role the Caribbean nation currently…
Cocaine Hidden in Fruit Feeds European Pipeline
The discovery of large batches of cocaine in shipments of bananas to the Rotterdam port shows that traffickers continue to move drugs to Europe through a common Latin American export:…
History of Activism Helps Mexico’s Indigenous Resist Organized Crime: Report
A new report examines the factors that enable indigenous resistance to organized crime in Mexico -- an interesting framework for understanding how indigenous communities counter cartel influence but one that…
How His Own Extradition Policy Exposed the Honduras President
As his final extradition orders were being read and signed, a drug trafficker known as “El Negro” Lobo paced in his small holding cell. He was minutes away from…
Wild West of Honduras: Home to Narcos and Their Politicians
On a December morning in 2018, Javier Erazo, known as “El Huita,” took to his hammock after a horseback ride at his farm in Ocotepeque, a town on the western…
Risks for Mexico’s Public Transport Workers Growing in 2019
Two public transport vehicles were robbed and then set ablaze in Mexico City due to the failure of workers to pay extortion fees, illustrating how public transport workers and their…
A Green Gold Rush: Potent Marijuana Big Business For Colombia Traffickers
While Colombia is known for its vast coca fields, the hillsides of its Cauca region are covered in another illicit crop: highly potent marijuana.
Costa Rica and Panama Find Joint Success in Tackling People Smuggling
Authorities in Panama and Costa Rica have dismantled an international human smuggling ring, highlighting the success of police cooperation in both countries’ fight against established smuggling networks.
Will Drug Conspiracy Allegations End US Support for Honduras President?
With a public accusation that he accepted drug proceeds for his political campaigns, the US appears to finally be turning its back on its longtime ally, Honduras President Juan Orlando…
Have Cryptocurrencies Really Helped Venezuela Sidestep US Sanctions?
Venezuela is collecting airport taxes through an application that converts these funds into Bitcoin, demonstrating the country’s continuing use of cryptocurrencies to evade US sanctions.
About InSight Crime
Escaping Barrio 18
Last week, InSight Crime published an investigation charting the story of Desafío, a 28-year-old Barrio 18 gang member who is desperate to escape gang life. But there’s one problem: he’s…
Europe Coverage Makes a Splash
Last week, InSight Crime published an analysis of the role of Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport as an arrival hub for cocaine and methamphetamine from Mexico. The article was picked up by…
World Looks to InSight Crime for Mexico Expertise
Our coverage of the arrest of Chapitos’ co-founder Ovidio Guzmán López in Mexico has received worldwide attention.In the UK, outlets including The Independent and BBC…
InSight Crime Shares Expertise with US State Department
Last week, InSight Crime Co-founder Steven Dudley took part in the International Anti-Corruption Conference organized by the US State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, & Labor and…
Immediate Response to US-Mexico Marijuana Investigation
InSight Crime’s investigation into how the legalization of marijuana in many US states has changed Mexico’s criminal dynamics made a splash this week appearing on the front page of…
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