Two local bosses of the Mara Salvatrucha gang have been killed by their underlings in El Salvador offering a glimpse at the tensions underlying the criminal pact that…
The director of El Salvadors National Forensic Institute (IML) announced that the number of murders had risen sharply in the first days of August, saying it was an indication that…
El Salvadors government announced that the police were going to slow the rate of operations to catch large numbers of suspected criminals, but denied that this was in response to…
According to an unnamed "investigator" consulted by Guatemala's most-circulated newspaper, the country's two largest street gangs, the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and Barrio 18 have evolved distinctly different tactics, ranging from…
A leader of the Barrio 18 gang in Guatemala told El Faro that the group would be interested in following the example of the gang truce in El Salvador and…
As the El Salvadoran gang truce offers hope that it could transform into something more lasting, InSight Crime looks at the lessons from Colombias peace process a decade earlier with…
Fears that the two largest street gangs in El Salvador are taking advantage of a proclaimed cease fire to reorganize and expand their overall influence are largely unfounded, as both…
Authorities in El Salvador reported the arrest of 185 suspected gang members in the greater San Salvador area, despite a truce between rival gangs that has brought a significant reduction in…
Over three months after El Salvadors two largest street gangs agreed to a cease-fire, homicides, extortion, and disappearances are all reportedly down. While some of the statistics kept by different…
Police in one San Salvador municipality have reportedly responded to overcrowding by asking detained members of the country's two largest gangs to wear different uniforms, an attempt to create stability…
El Salvador's "mara" gangs may be moving into Belize, according to reports, with both the MS-13 and Barrio 18 having a presence in the capital of the tiny Caribbean country.
Honduras' street gangs have evolved over the last decade in response to tough anti-gang laws, focusing on building ties with communities and recruiting fewer but more dedicated members, according to…
About InSight Crime
Venezuela Coverage Continues to be Highlighted
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…
Venezuela's Organized Crime Top 10 Attracts Attention
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…
InSight Crime on El País Podcast
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.
InSight Crime Interviewed by Associated Press
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,…
Escaping Barrio 18
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…
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