GameChangers 2020: Tren de Aragua and the Exportation of Venezuelan Organized Crime
Venezuela has long been known as a strategic rearguard for Colombia guerrilla groups. Yet 2020 saw the acceleration of a newer dynamic: Venezuelan gangs now rival their Colombian counterparts in…
GameChangers 2020: 3 Ways Criminal Groups Overcame Coronavirus
As COVID-19 threatened the well-being of the populations they depend on for criminal income, it was largely in the interest of criminal groups to try and keep the pandemic under…
GameChangers 2020: The Resurgence of the Central American Cocaine Highway
A rush of drug plane traffic from South America, coupled with traffickers smuggling large cocaine shipments after coronavirus border restrictions eased, led to a surge in narcotics transiting Central America…
GameChangers 2020: How Black Markets Became the New Normal
In a region where 50 percent of the population already makes its living in the informal market, it was perhaps of little surprise that black markets exploded in 2020 amidst…
GameChangers 2020: Conflicting US Approach to Latin America Organized Crime
President-elect Joe Biden wants to reset US-Latin American relations, but the Trump administration’s approach may leave scars.
GameChangers 2020: How Organized Crime Survived the Pandemic
Welcome to InSight Crime’s Criminal GameChangers 2020, where we highlight the most important trends in organized crime in the Americas over the course of the year. …
What Do Security Law Reforms Mean for US-Mexico Organized Crime Fight?
Lawmakers in Mexico have passed a new law that limits the power and restricts the operations of foreign law enforcement agents in the country, raising serious questions as to how…
MS13 Infiltrates Local Government in El Salvador Once Again
A recent police raid in the eastern part of El Salvador, in which a mayor and several municipal and judicial officials were arrested, is the most recent example of an…
Charges Point to El Salvador Police Chief's History of Obstructing Justice
As El Salvador battles widespread allegations of fraud during the coronavirus pandemic, its most senior police official is now accused of helping to cover up government corruption.
Key Report Urges Ambitious Revision of US Anti-Drug Policy
Congress has released a sweeping report on drug policy in the Americas, laying out a long list of recommendations for curbing drug trafficking and addressing the public health issues created…
The Endless War to Control Northwest Colombia's Drug Routes
The killing of an Indigenous leader in Bahia Solano, on Colombia’s Pacific Coast, adds to mounting violence that has fueled the displacement of hundreds, as the Urabeños drug gang…
Brazil’s Red Command Yet to Find Strong Foothold in Argentina
New details have emerged about the sophisticated criminal operations of a Red Command leader who once operated in the Argentina-Brazil border region. Such isolated incidents, however, are not an indication…