News Analysis

Migrants Disappearing, Dying as US-Mexico Border Remains Closed

Reports of migrants dying and disappearing in the US-Mexico borderlands are becoming increasingly common, propelled in part by a restrictive…

Argentina Spares Mother Who Served as Drug Mule to Save Son

Drug charges against a woman in Argentina were dropped after prosecutors learned that she had agreed to be a drug…

Self-Defense Group Emerges After Criminal Attacks in Chiapas, Mexico

Amid government inaction, Indigenous communities in the highlands of Mexico’s southern state of Chiapas are throwing their support behind a…

Despite Outrage, Guatemala Continues to Bulldoze Anti-Corruption Edifice

The dismissal of Juan Francisco Sandoval, Guatemala's leading anti-corruption prosecutor who has since fled the country, has drawn condemnation at…

Religious Statuettes Branded as El Koki for Sale in Caracas

Salesmen in Caracas have come up with an enterprising response to the Venezuelan capital’s descent into criminal warfare: selling devotional…

FARC Dissidents Want Old Land Back in Colombia's Caquetá and Meta

Once belonging to the demobilized FARC, certain criminal groups seek to reconquer surrendered assets, driving a wave of violence in…

Fake Vaccination Certificates: The Next COVID-19 Forgery in Mexico

After peddling fake tests and vaccines for the coronavirus, criminals are now selling counterfeit vaccination certificates in Mexico City, allowing…

Bolivia Seemingly Powerless to Stop Rampant Vehicle Smuggling

A recent clash between soldiers and smugglers has pointed to how Bolivia’s trade in contraband has reached a flashpoint.

Paraguay Grapples With Ever Larger Seizures of Marijuana

A string of large marijuana seizures in Paraguay's eastern border departments underscores how the region continues to be a key…

Fentanyl and 2CB, Worrying New Cocktail on Colombia's Party Circuit

A synthetic drug popular in Colombia's party scene was recently found to be laced with the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl,…

Human Smugglers Profit From Despair of Haitian Migrants in Brazil

Government officials in Brazil say smugglers are moving Haitian migrants across the country's border with Peru, as many of them…

US Drug Deaths Explode, Fueled by Mexico Production of Synthetics

The United States saw a record toll in drug overdose deaths last year, driven in part by two powerful synthetic…