Two Honduran executives allegedly used a Panamanian business and a US bank to pay $2.5 million in bribes, suggesting that banks based in Panama and the United States may…
When it comes to Central America, all eyes are usually on the Northern Triangle. But 2016 saw local organized crime in Costa Rica and Panama -- traditionally oases…
Authorities in Panama say they have seized more drugs in 2016 than in any other year since 2000, and soaring cocaine production in neighboring Colombia may be the most likely…
Panama's forest areas are seeing a growth in illegal mining, raising the question of which criminal organizations are behind these activities.
The FARC's 57th Front is active along the Colombia-Panama border, where it has long used the dense strip of jungle known as the Darién Gap to traffic drugs into Central…
Recent murder statistics from Panama reveal that the most violent areas of the country coincide with those where gang presence is strongest.
Panama's foreign ministry has formally requested that the United States extradite the country's former President Ricardo Martinelli, a move that raises questions about the Central American nation's ability to successfully…
A binational operation has reportedly disbanded one of the most wanted criminal organizations in Panama, exposing an intricate drug trafficking network that suggests local gangs could be making the leap…
Recent arrests of officials for alleged corruption is a sign that Panama's newly created anticorruption task force is off to a good start, but it is also a reminder of…
Calor Calor is one of Panama’s two most powerful gangs along with Bagdad, and the two battle fiercely for territorial control.
Panama and Guatemala have seen a sizeable increase in drug seizures through the first half of 2016, an indication of Central America's persistent importance as a trafficking route to the…
Panama's location connecting Central and South America has made it a key transit point for illicit trade, as well as a refuge and negotiating area for criminal organizations. Its favorable…
About InSight Crime
Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua Becomes Truly Transnational
This week, InSight Crime published a deep dive into the total control that Venezuelan mega-gang, Tren de Aragua, has over the lives of those it smuggles between Venezuela and Chile…
Turkish Traffickers Delivering Latin American Cocaine to Persian Gulf
Last week, InSight Crime published the second half of an investigation piecing together the emerging role of Turkish cocaine traffickers in supplying Russia and the Persian Gulf, which are among…
Turkey as a Lynchpin in European Cocaine Pipeline
InSight Crime is extending its investigation into the cocaine pipeline to Europe, and tracking the growing connections between Latin American drug traffickers and European criminal organizations. This led us to…
Memo Fantasma Coverage Gets Worldwide Attention
Guillermo Acevedo, the former Colombian drug lord and paramilitary commander better known as Memo Fantasma, may soon be allowed to leave prison. Since first revealing the identity of Memo Fantasma…
Who Are Memo Fantasma and Sergio Roberto de Carvalho?
Inside the criminal career of Memo Fantasma In March 2020, InSight Crime revealed the identity and whereabouts of Memo Fantasma, a paramilitary commander and drug trafficker living in…
Stay Informed with Weekly InSight
Get fresh updates on organized crime from across the region delivered to your inbox.
SUBSCRIBE