GameChangers 2022: ‘Pink Cocaine,’ Cross-Border Battles, and the Frustrating Fight Against Mafia States
InSight Crime's GameChangers 2022 looks back at the most consequential criminal stories across Latin America this year.
Historic Judgement Shows How Guatemala Is Still Fighting Its Past
Guatemala's former President Otto Pérez Molina and former Vice President Roxana Baldetti were sentenced to 16 years in prison on December 7.
Human Smugglers Outsourcing Drivers, Wreaking Havoc on US-Mexico Border
Authorities in Arizona are sounding the alarm about the rising use of outsiders as drivers for human smuggling.
A Cartel Bodyguard in Mexico’s 'Hot Land'
In the mountains of Michoacán, Mexico, Carlos was trained to become a ruthless soldier for the Cárteles Unidos.
‘Forgiveness’ and the Sticky Question of Justice in Mexico
Cartels like the Chapitos have asked for forgiveness from the Mexican people. Will it ever be given?…
Did an MS13-El Salvador Govt Pact Temporarily Halt Gang Extraditions?
Multiple sources from the United States and El Salvador say the recent decision to temporarily halt the extradition of several top MS13 leaders to face US charges may be related…
Chasing Brazil’s Premier Money Launderer
There were few better at money laundering than the Brazilian Dario Messer, who, while scrambling to save himself from Brazilian authorities, did one last tour of his prime refuge, Paraguay,…
Intercepts Show How Brazil Police Extort PCC
“Plata o Plomo” is an overused phrase to describe the way criminals threaten officials and civilians to ensure compliance with their wishes. In one Brazilian case, it seems more appropriately…
While Taking Paraguay-Brazil Border, PCC Tries to Control Its Own
On June 10, 2016, Jorge Rafaat was driving his armored Hummer when he pulled up to a stop light in central Pedro Juan Caballero, a Paraguayan city at the border…
Court Case Paints Picture of Disorganization in Brazil’s PCC
The PCC is often described as Brazil’s most potent criminal gang, but a recent case against it paints a picture that belies the reputation of the group as a strict,…
How PCC ‘Discipline’ Helped Gang Control the Underworld
On November 14, 2016, about 12 p.m., Carlos Magno de Souza was driving along the asphalt streets of Peruíbe, São Paulo, past the single-story houses that dot the seaside city…
PCC: A Prison from Which There Is No Escape
It was a Tuesday night, January 14, 2020, after “free time” when prison authorities found his body.