News Analysis

Hashish, Wax, THC Oil: Latin America’s Marijuana Markets Diversify

A series of seizures and drug raids across Latin America have revealed how previously niche high-strength marijuana products are establishing…

Evidence of Gang Negotiations Belie El Salvador President’s Claims

A scrapped investigation by El Salvador’s former Attorney General has revealed a massive trove of evidence that the administration of…

Killings Pile Up in Uruguay Due to Brazil Gang War

Localized gang warfare in Brazil's state of Rio Grande do Sul has sparked a security crisis along its border with…

New Guerrilla Boss, Same as Old Guerrilla Boss in Colombia

The death of a top guerrilla commander in southern Colombia has unveiled an all-too-familiar situation: the leaders of criminal groups…

Mexico Cartels Find Recruitment Target - Drug Rehab Centers

Lacking government support and effective oversight, drug rehab centers in Mexico are being exploited by organized crime groups, which are…

Chile Loggers Try New Rules to Crack Down on Illegal Timber

Faced with endemic timber theft and uneven government enforcement, logging companies in Chile have agreed to new guidelines meant to…

Homicides Pile Up in Ecuador in Revenge for Key Drug Seizure

Seven people were gunned down in Guayaquil after a record cocaine seizure – in a revenge attack that shows ripples…

How Human Trafficking Worsened in Mexico During COVID-19

The number of human trafficking victims in Mexico is growing, as traffickers target vulnerable people hit hard by the COVID-19…

Urabeños vs. Pachenca - The Fight for Colombia's Port of Santa Marta

Colombia's northern city of Santa Marta has seen a shocking rise in murders this year as smaller gangs are getting…

The Scale of Illegal Coltan Trafficking in Colombia and Venezuela

Seizures of coltan in Colombia have shown the complex networks used by armed groups to smuggle the valuable mineral from…

Brazil Cattle Linked to Accused Drug Trafficker Sold to Major Companies

João Soares Rocha, 64, has been identified by the Brazilian police as the ringleader of an international cocaine trafficking network.

Balkan Gangs Supervise Cocaine Trade from Colombia and Across Europe

A cell within a notorious Montenegrin cocaine trafficking group has been dismantled on Spain’s Canary Islands, demonstrating how Balkan drug…