Panic Over Gang Exodus from El Salvador, But Few Arrested

Since El Salvador's government began a campaign of mass arrests two months ago in a gang crackdown, fewer than 60 suspected gang members fleeing the country have been arrested in…

InSight Crime's 2021 Homicide Round-Up

In 2021, most countries in Latin America and the Caribbean experienced a marked increase in murders. Resurgent violence was to be expected after some of the world’s strictest COVID-19 lockdowns…

Belize, the Gatekeeper for Contraband Tobacco Flowing into Mexico

While contraband cigarettes are a mainstay across Latin America, Belize has confirmed its status as a major port of entry for illegal tobacco into Mexico.

States of Emergency in Belize - Cure or Addiction?

Despite improving homicide statistics, Belize continues to regularly declare states of emergency due to crime rates. But do these actually make a difference?…

Chinese Broker Laundered Latin American Drug Money Around the World

The leader of a transnational money laundering network cleaned drug money through a scheme that included casinos, a seafood export business and Chinese bank accounts.

Belize Officials, Police Help Hide Drug Planes

A recent drug plane interception in Belize has unveiled the role corrupt officials have been playing in facilitating the nation's use as a transit point for cocaine.

InSight Crime’s 2020 Homicide Round-Up

While unrest gripped much of Latin America in 2019, it was the coronavirus that took center stage and ripped through the region in 2020, upending everything from commercial trade to…

InSight Crime’s 2019 Homicide Round-Up

Unrest gripped much of Latin America and the Caribbean throughout 2019. From record violence in Mexico that recalled the darkest days of the drug war, to…

Drug Seizures Increase in Belize as More Cocaine Flows North

Despite limited interdiction capabilities, authorities in Belize have made a number of recent drug busts, underscoring that the Central American country is grappling with a surge in cocaine moving north…

Belize Prison Offers Softer Touch than Latin American Counterparts

Latin America’s prison system has long had a reputation for being corrupt, often acting as an incubator for organized crime groups and their criminal activities. But a small Central American…

Eco-Trafficking Thrives Along Lawless Guatemala-Belize Border

A poorly defined and lawless border region between Belize and Guatemala is proving to be fertile ground for eco traffickers to further their criminal interests, underscoring how a lack of…

InSight Crime's 2018 Homicide Round-Up

With a worsening crisis in Venezuela, dark days in Nicaragua, an ever more fragile peace process in Colombia, new governments and new ideas in Brazil, Mexico and beyond, 2018 was…