All About Ecuador

ECUADOR / 25 NOV 2013

A lack of oversight in Ecuador's ports on the part of both private companies and the government has left maritime routes open for drug traffickers, contributing to the country's growth…

ECUADOR / 22 NOV 2013

Robberies are the leading cause of homicide in Ecuador capital Quito, according to a new report, raising questions as to why high street crime so frequently escalates into murder.

ECUADOR / 21 NOV 2013

Authorities in Ecuador have seized two tons of cocaine near the border with Peru, suggesting the country's growing role as a drug transit point for traffickers moving Peruvian as well…

ECUADOR / 20 NOV 2013

Police in Ecuador have highlighted the role of local drug trafficking clans -- often based on family ties -- within the country's growing drug trade, a sign that Ecuador's increasing…

COCAINE EUROPE / 19 NOV 2013

Ecuador has arrested an alleged Italian mafia member who held a legitimate work visa in the country but was wanted on criminal charges in Italy, highlighting how the country's lax…

ECUADOR / 13 NOV 2013

Ecuador has dispatched a military patrol to combat drug trafficking in the western coastal province of Manabi, a strategy likely linked both to the province's strategic importance to drug trafficking…

CRIMINAL MIGRATION / 8 NOV 2013

Colombia's principal criminal organization, the Urabeños, have marked their arrival in Ecuador with a series of killings, kidnappings and extortion of rivals as they look to establish a firm foothold…

ECUADOR / 4 NOV 2013

More than 400 Ecuadorean police officers have been detained for suspected criminal activity, as attempts to reform chronically corrupt law enforcement continue across the region, with very mixed results.

ECUADOR / 1 NOV 2013

In August, authorities in Ecuador eradicated the largest poppy crop of the year, representing nearly a third of the total number of plants found in 2012 and bolstering the notion…

ECUADOR / 29 OCT 2013

A top official from Ecuador has publically acknowledged the presence of transnational criminal groups from Colombia and Mexico, but insisted the country is only used to transit drugs, despite evidence…

ECUADOR / 28 OCT 2013

Ecuador has increased the legal penalties for loan sharks in an attempt to crack down on the exploitation that is a key part of the human smuggling and trafficking…

ECUADOR / 23 OCT 2013

Authorities in Ecuador have arrested 50 members of a gang dedicated to assassination and drug trafficking, in an example of the sort of domestic organized crime that could grow more…

About InSight Crime

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela Coverage Continues to be Highlighted

3 MAR 2023

This week, InSight Crime co-director Jeremy McDermott was the featured guest on the Americas Quarterly podcast, where he provided an expert overview of the changing dynamics…

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela's Organized Crime Top 10 Attracts Attention

24 FEB 2023

Last week, InSight Crime published its ranking of Venezuela’s ten organized crime groups to accompany the launch of the Venezuela Organized Crime Observatory. Read…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime on El País Podcast

10 FEB 2023

This week, InSight Crime co-founder, Jeremy McDermott, was among experts featured in an El País podcast on the progress of Colombia’s nascent peace process.

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime Interviewed by Associated Press

3 FEB 2023

This week, InSight Crime’s Co-director Jeremy McDermott was interviewed by the Associated Press on developments in Haiti as the country continues its prolonged collapse. McDermott’s words were republished around the world,…

THE ORGANIZATION

Escaping Barrio 18

27 JAN 2023

Last week, InSight Crime published an investigation charting the story of Desafío, a 28-year-old Barrio 18 gang member who is desperate to escape gang life. But there’s one problem: he’s…