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.
PCC Investigation: Introduction and Major Findings
It was August 31, 1993, and the sun was shining when eight men entered a makeshift soccer pitch in the middle of the Taubaté prison.
What are the Signs a Latin American Prison Is Working or Not?
As part of his work in human rights, transitional justice and prison reform, Michael Reed has been inside dozens of prisons across the Americas. Reed, a dual US-Colombian citizen, is…
3 Reasons Why US is Epicenter for Big Cat Breeding, Trading
Netflix’s “Tiger King” fixated our gaze on the outlandish antics of Exotic Joe, but if you squint your eyes in just the right way, you could catch a glimpse of…
A Guatemala Drug Trafficking Chapter Ends in the US
A judge lowered the sentence of a convicted Guatemalan drug trafficker in a US court on February 22, just weeks after US federal authorities released another convicted Guatemalan trafficker from…
For Informant, a Treacherous Road to Justice in El Salvador
Even under the best of circumstances, there are few incentives to become a cooperating witness in an extortion case in El Salvador. And, as one witness has found out, participation…
About InSight Crime
Venezuela Drug Trafficking Investigation and InDepth Gender Coverage
On May 4, InSight Crime will be publishing The Cocaine Revolution in Venezuela, a groundbreaking investigation into how the Venezuelan government regulates the cocaine trade in the country. An accompanying event,…
InDepth Coverage of Juan Orlando Hernández
Ever since Juan Orlando Hernández was elected president of Honduras in 2014, InSight Crime has provided coverage of every twist and turn during his rollercoaster time in office, amid growing…
Venezuela's Cocaine Revolution
On May 4th, InSight Crime will publish a groundbreaking investigation on drug trafficking in Venezuela. A product of three years of field research across the country, the study uncovers cocaine production in…
Widespread Coverage of InSight Crime MS13 Investigation
In a joint investigation with La Prensa Gráfica, InSight Crime recently revealed that four of the MS13’s foremost leaders had been quietly released from…
Informing US State Department and European Union
InSight Crime Co-director McDermott briefed the US State Department and other international players on the presence of Colombian guerrillas in Venezuela and the implication this has for both nations. McDermott…
Stay Informed with Weekly InSight
Get fresh updates on organized crime from across the region delivered to your inbox.
SUBSCRIBE