It was March 2020, not long after fear of the coronavirus began spreading across the Americas, when several major criminal groups started employing their own form of a lockdown.
From mostly being a lower-level criminal annoyance, oil theft has spread across Latin America during the coronavirus pandemic as a way for gangs to supply thriving black markets, sidestep official…
A spate of deaths following the consumption of adulterated alcohol suggest pandemic restrictions on alcohol sales have encouraged the expansion of a perilous black market in Mexico.
Four Indigenous leaders in Peru's Amazon have been murdered since the government declared a state of emergency over COVID-19, revealing how their opposition to illegal logging, mining and drug trafficking…
A black market for an antiviral drug used to treat coronavirus has emerged in Venezuela, revealing that even expensive, lifesaving medicines are fueling the lucrative illegal trade.
Inmate deaths have doubled in Venezuela's jails during the coronavirus pandemic, a crisis that underscores how the country's anarchic prisons foment violence and spread disease.
A series of police operations in Brazil have shown that the poaching of exotic species appears to have exploded during the pandemic, as job losses and a lack of government…
The coronavirus pandemic sparked a shift in Colombia as criminal actors the nation over sought to profit from the sudden change in conditions, the refocusing of state priorities and a…
Amidst Peru’s coronavirus crisis, hospital workers are demanding bribes from relatives to confirm deceased victims’ identities and arrange illegal funerals, revealing how the pandemic has created new opportunities for criminal…
Rio de Janeiro’s Governor Wilson Witzel has been suspended for allegedly running a corruption scheme that not only may have defrauded the state at the height of its coronavirus response…
The systematic recruiting of minors continues to be a favorite strategy for non-state armed actors in Colombia to bolster their numbers, with the country’s Registry of Victims (Registro Único de…
On August 9, the website on which the El Salvador government publishes all of the country's contract expenditures suddenly went dark. The shutdown came amid allegations of corruption by the administration…
About InSight Crime
Guatemala Social Insecurity Investigation Makes Front Page News
InSight Crime’s latest investigation into a case of corruption within Guatemala's social security agency linked to the deaths of patients with kidney disease made waves in…
Venezuela El Dorado Investigation Makes Headlines
InSight Crime's investigation into the trafficking of illegal gold in Venezuela's Amazon region generated impact on both social media and in the press. Besides being republished and mentioned by several…
Gender and Investigative Techniques Focus of Workshops
On November 23-24, InSight Crime conducted a workshop called “How to Cover Organized Crime: Investigation Techniques and A Focus on Gender.” The session convened reporters and investigators from a dozen…
InSight Crime Names Two New Board Members
In recent weeks, InSight Crime added two new members to its board. Joy Olson is the former executive director of the Washington Office on Latin America…
Senate Commission in Paraguay Cites InSight Crime
InSight Crime’s reporting and investigations often reach the desks of diplomats, security officials and politicians. The latest example occurred in late October during a commission of Paraguay's Senate that tackled…
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