The Coast of Sucre - Venezuela's Most Dangerous Place for Piracy
Merchants travelling to Trinidad and Tobago, fishing vessels, even the occasional tourist – all are tempting targets for pirates off Venezuela’s northern state of Sucre. …
The Fallout from Apure and the Enemy Within
The Colombian guerrillas have won a battle against the Venezuelan military in the state of Apure. But they will never win the war. Nevertheless, the fighting made one thing clear:…
The Venezuelan Military: Outfought and Outmatched
On April 23, 2021, two Venezuelan military helicopters landed near the town of La Victoria in the border state of Apure filled with soldiers dispatched to hunt dissident Colombian guerrillas.
Apure's Proxy War
The fighting that erupted in the Venezuelan state of Apure in early 2021 was on the surface a classic guerrilla conflict.
Inviting War into Venezuela
The photos showed five dead bodies laid out in the dirt, each with a gun or grenade close to an outstretched hand. The official report stated these were guerrillas who…
How Many Colombian Fighters are Really Inside Venezuela?
Colombia’s top military commander says 40 percent of ELN and ex-FARC fighters operate in Venezuela, a figure that must be considered speculative but reflects important shifts in guerrilla dynamics, with…
Death of a Pran: Suicide Marks Venezuela Former Prison Boss’ Decline
Weeks after reports emerged of the suicide of a notorious Venezuelan prison gang boss in Colombia, authorities have confirmed the death of Edwin Ramón Soto Nava – a death that…
Venezuela Kidnappers Posing as Car Sellers to Lure Victims
The Venezuelan police have stepped in amid a spate of violent crimes caused by gang members pretending to sell cars online. The offer: people can use police stations to finalize…
Venezuela's Smaller Gangs Carve Out Local Criminal Fiefdoms
The visual is an arresting one. A Venezuelan army sergeant, his face swollen and his nose bleeding from a beating, is forced to speak on camera and tell his superiors…
In Venezuela, Prison Gang Chants Support for Politicians
Political support from career criminals is usually a matter of skulduggery and campaign finance. But one prison gang in Venezuela broke with tradition, releasing a video in which its members…
Ex-Lieutenant Allegedly Recruits Venezuelan Soldiers for Gang Attack on Illegal Mine
A former army lieutenant allegedly recruited Venezuelan soldiers to provide firepower for the Tren de Guayana gang in a bid to take over gold mining operations in southern Venezuela, revealing…
Are El Koki and His Gang Members No Longer Safe in Venezuela?
Police in Venezuela have killed a notorious gang leader while others are reportedly hiding in Colombia, raising questions about the state of one of Caracas’ most powerful criminal structures and…
About InSight Crime
InSight Crime Tackles Illegal Fishing
In October, InSight Crime and American University’s Center for Latin American and Latino Studies (CLALS) began a year-long project on illegal, unreported, unregulated (IUU) fishing in…
InSight Crime Featured in Handbook for Reporting on Organized Crime
In late September, the Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN) published an excerpt of its forthcoming guide on reporting organized crime in Indonesia.
Probing Organized Crime in Haiti
InSight Crime has made it a priority to investigate organized crime in Haiti, where an impotent state is reeling after the July assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, coupled with an…
Emergency First Aid in Hostile Environments
At InSight Crime's annual treat, we ramped up hostile environment and emergency first aid training for our 40-member staff, many of whom conduct on-the-ground investigations in dangerous corners of the region.
Series on Environmental Crime in the Amazon Generates Headlines
InSight Crime and the Igarapé Institute have been delighted at the response to our joint investigation into environmental crimes in the Colombian Amazon. Coverage of our chapters dedicated to illegal mining…
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