37 Dead from Guerrilla Attacks in September
September has been one of the bloodiest months on record in recent years for Colombia's armed forces with guerrilla ambushes taking the lives of 37 security forces personnel, the majority…
10 Official Versions of the Capture of 'Barbie'
Mexico's newspaper La Crónica says there are ten versions of how the drug trafficker and hitman Edgar Valdez Villareal, alias La Barbie, was captured in late August just outside…
Criminals Control Mercury Mines in Cordoba
Emerging Criminal Groups or BACRIM's are overrunning mercury mines in Córdoba and Antioquia, President Juan Manuel Santos announced. The mines are contaminated the environment, he added, stating that…
5 Arrested in Jalisco with C-4; Part of New Alliance
Five men, two of them ex-military, carrying explosives, weapons, flak jackets and T-shirts with the letters "MFG" were arrested in Jalisco, El Universal is reporting. The explosives are…
17 Dead in Honduran 'Gang' Massacre
Seventeen youths are dead after armed men stormed a shoe factory and shot them at point blank range in the embattled city of San Pedro Sula, in the northern part…
Maras Paralyze Transport in El Salvador
Gangs from the Mara Salvatrucha or MS-13 and the Barrio 18 shut down 40 percent to 60 percent of the public transport bus service in El Salvador, La Crónica…
El Universal: 'Barbie' Handed Himself In
In what has become almost a daily routine, the Mexican daily El Universal speculates that Edgar Valdez Villareal, alias "La Barbie," was not captured but handed himself in…
Calderón: Fight Against Cartels Could Take Years
During a TV interview, part of a blitz of interviews by Mexican President Felipe Calderón, the leader said his governments success in fighting drug cartels depended on the capacity of…
'Barbie' Negotiated Surrender?
Rumors are swirling that Edgar Valdez Villareal, alias "La Barbie," the former top hitman for the Beltrán Leyva Organization (BLO) who later formed his own drug trafficking organization, negotiated his surrender…
5 Peasants Killed in Border Area
Five peasant farmers were killed and two more remain missing in Peru near the Colombian and Brazilian borders, Peruvian Defense Minister Rafael Rey told EFE news agency. The…
Peru President 'Troubled' by Mexican Traffickers in Peru
In an interview with CNN in Spanish, Peruvian President Alan Garcia said he was very troubled by Mexican cartel presence in his country, EFE news agency reported. Garcia…
Last Months of 'Barbie'
El Proceso magazine this week describes in detail the last months of Edgar Valdez Villareal, alias La Barbie, the former top hitman for the Beltran Leyva Organization (BLO)…
About InSight Crime
Oceans Pillaged in Central America and the Caribbean
Last week, InSight Crime published the first installment of a nine-part investigation uncovering the hidden depths of Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing in Latin America. The first installment covered Central America and…
Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua Becomes Truly Transnational
This week, InSight Crime published a deep dive into the total control that Venezuelan mega-gang, Tren de Aragua, has over the lives of those it smuggles between Venezuela and Chile…
Turkish Traffickers Delivering Latin American Cocaine to Persian Gulf
Last week, InSight Crime published the second half of an investigation piecing together the emerging role of Turkish cocaine traffickers in supplying Russia and the Persian Gulf, which are among…
Turkey as a Lynchpin in European Cocaine Pipeline
InSight Crime is extending its investigation into the cocaine pipeline to Europe, and tracking the growing connections between Latin American drug traffickers and European criminal organizations. This led us to…
Memo Fantasma Coverage Gets Worldwide Attention
Guillermo Acevedo, the former Colombian drug lord and paramilitary commander better known as Memo Fantasma, may soon be allowed to leave prison. Since first revealing the identity of Memo Fantasma…
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