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.
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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