The Jalisco Cartel's Quiet Expansion in Guatemala

Early investigations indicate the CJNG is striking partnerships with drug rings in Guatemala that receive shipments of cocaine from Colombia and Venezuela and deliver them to the cartel.

With US Policy, Mexico Crime Groups See Double the Opportunity in Northbound Migrants

Reported kidnappings have decreased significantly in Mexico, but in recent years, at least one out of every 10 kidnapping victims has been a migrant trying to reach the United States,…

Failed Kingpin Strategy at Heart of New US-Mexico Security Plans

The United States and Mexico have officially entered a new phase of their partnership to tackle transnational organized crime groups and the evolving regional drug trade, yet recent announcements suggest…

Why are Criminal Dynamics Constantly Changing in Tamaulipas, Mexico?

Cocaine, synthetic drugs, weapons, migrants, gasoline - this range of criminal economies has seen violence escalate in Mexico's northern state of Tamaulipas.

Cyclones, Scorpions and Old School Killers - The War for Tamaulipas

It was so simple once. The Gulf Cartel and its ancestors maintained control of Tamaulipas for eight decades.

The Zetas’ Model of Organized Crime is Leaving Mexico in Ruins

It was a Saturday, around 12:30 p.m. local time, when a caravan of three vehicles loaded with well-armed men and at least one woman began a violent rampage through Reynosa,…

The Next Generation of Criminal Groups Driving Violence in Mexico

Mexico's process of criminal fragmentation has been a slow burn. Many of the country's mightiest criminal groups have been unable to stay united, either due to internal strife, incursions from…

Extermination Sites - The New Depths of Mexico's Disappearance Crisis

Families combing for clues about their vanished loved ones at recently discovered extermination sites in northern Mexico have turned to local cartel leaders for help - revealing their desperation to…

'Somos.': One of Mexico's Worst Massacres Told Through its Victims

The new Netflix series, “Somos.,” (We Are), offers a respectful but powerful look at the Allende massacre, one of the most brutal episodes of Mexico's war on organized crime, which…

Why is Veracruz Mexico's Most Dangerous State for Political Murders?

Running for office in Mexico means risking one's life. Just one week ahead of local elections on June 6, at least 89 political candidates had been killed during the current…

From Street Gangs to Presidents: InSight Crime's Decade of Covering the Underworld

At InSight Crime’s 10th anniversary conference, presenter Robert Muggah described the primary reaction he has received when collaborating with the organization across Brazil, Colombia, Peru and El Salvador. “Wherever we…

Mexico Cartels Hand Out Food Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

Recent cases of criminal groups distributing supplies in Mexico suggest that the coronavirus pandemic has presented an opportunity to cultivate popular support and consolidate territorial control in areas where people…