Millions of gallons of illegal petrol are flowing into Guatemala from Mexico each week, part of a highly lucrative regional trade that authorities are struggling to combat.
Authorities in Colombia have seized 34,000 gallons of contraband fuel and arrested 30 suspects, in a series of operations highlighting the extent of a lucrative illicit trade fed largely by…
Costa Rica has witnessed a five-fold rise in illegal cigarette seizures since 2012, suggesting illegal groups are capitalizing on a new tobacco law to flood the market with contraband products.
The counterfeit pharmaceutical trade in Colombia could be as profitable as the illegal drugs market, according to Colombia's customs chief, illustrating how organized crime groups are taking advantage of a…
Contraband smuggling in Guatemala has increased 14 percent over the last year, says the country's business community, a rise that could be connected to the fragmentation of organized crime.
Honduras is losing $230 million per year in revenues because of fuel smuggling, a practice driven by criminal groups capitalizing on Venezuela's fuel subsidies.
El Salvador's customs authority has classified 152 of the country's freight companies as presenting either a "high" or "medium" level of risk, and among them are several linked to drug…
Venezuela has officially inaugurated a civil-military Joint Task Force to combat smuggling and drug trafficking along the Colombian border, although it remains unclear how effective such a scheme can be…
Ecuadorean authorities confiscated $3 million in smuggled goods during the first six months of 2013 at a new checkpoint on the border with Colombia, yet unofficial border crossings continue to…
The Venezuelan government plans to create a new force tasked with patrolling the border with Colombia, which will face an uphill battle if it is to make a dent in…
The president-elect of Paraguay, Horacio Cartes, has attacked the state institutions of his predecessor, accusing them of corruption and involvement in Paraguay's lucrative smuggling and contraband sectors -- crimes…
At least $50,000 worth of contraband gasoline is crossing from Ecuador into Peru each day, according to police, as subsidized fuel makes smuggling big business in different parts of…
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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