News Analysis

Disgruntled Police Sowing Further Unrest in Haiti

Officials in Haiti are calling on authorities to break up a group of disaffected, violent police officers that has in…

Sexual Abuse Plagues Women’s Detention Facilities in Venezuela

The shooting death of a 19-year-old woman in a Venezuela police holding cell has revealed that women in the jail…

Land Grabbing: Tracing and Targeting the ‘Invisible’ Threat Destroying Colombia’s Forests

The sheer size of Colombia's reserves makes them a target for the illegal clearing, appropriation and sale of protected land.

Deadly Ambush of 13 Police Meets Little Government Response in Mexico

A bloody ambush on a police unit in the state of Mexico, in which thirteen officials were shot dead, is…

Revived Drug Routes, Evolving Street Gangs in El Salvador

Though a relatively minor player in the transnational drug trade, El Salvador's overland smuggling routes have undergone a moderate revival…

DEA Report: Drug Traffickers Adapt to COVID-19 Crisis

Though crime syndicates struggled to move drugs in the initial months of the pandemic when global shipping shut down and…

Honduras President’s Alleged Role in Drug Conspiracy Comes Into Focus

Usually loath to name sitting presidents in criminal cases, prosecutors in the United States have made an exception for Honduran…

The Fuel Not the Fuse: Drug Trafficking and Ecuador’s Prison Violence

Drug trafficking and transnational organized crime have been blamed for deadly riots among rival gangs in Ecuador's prisons, but the…

Stolen Forests: Uncovering Colombia’s Illegal Timber Trade

More than half of Colombia is covered in forests, but rampant illegal logging is decimating the country’s woodlands.

Color-coded Bracelets for Migrants: Separating Poor from Poorer at US-Mexico Border

A recent report from the US-Mexico border revealed that human smuggling organizations have begun giving special bracelets to undocumented migrants,…

In Brazil, Court’s Decision Illustrates Corruption Probe Overreach

After Brazil's Supreme Court canceled the conviction of its former president, the country must now contend with the fallout.

Los Pachenca Emerge After Return of Paramilitary Boss to Colombia

In the wake of former paramilitary leader Hernán Giraldo's deportation to Colombia, an armed group linked to him has reappeared…