All About Environmental Crime

NEWS

Organized Crime and the Environment in Latin America: A Fatal Encounter

ENVIRONMENTAL CRIME / 3 MAR 2021

Latin America’s forests are being cut down at an accelerating rate. Asian markets are driving a trade in wildlife products, while wildcat miners decimate Amazon jungle from Peru to Guyana…

Wildlife Under Threat: Traffickers Target Colombia’s Vital Fauna

COLOMBIA / 3 MAR 2021

Colombia is one of the world’s most biodiverse countries, home to some 1,800 species of birds, 600 species of amphibians, 500 species of reptiles and 3,200 species of fish.

French Guiana’s Unpatrolled Waters Lure Illegal Fishing Crews

BRAZIL / 2 MAR 2021

Illegal fishing off the coast of French Guiana surged amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as French maritime patrols struggled to mobilize resources, luring illegal fishing crews to the country's pristine waters.

Latin America’s Bustling Trade in Seahorses to China

ENVIRONMENTAL CRIME / 27 FEB 2021

A new investigation has identified Mexico as a major contributor to a global seahorse trafficking network centered around China but it seems likely that this trade is also affecting other…

Uruguay Cracking Down on Cattle Rustling from Brazil

BRAZIL / 5 JAN 2021

A surge in cattle and horse rustling is plaguing ranchers along the Uruguay-Brazil border, but a new specialized unit dedicated to tackling the crime may be showing signs of success.

Mexico City’s Roaring Trade in Wildlife Trafficking

ENVIRONMENTAL CRIME / 4 JAN 2021

A series of unusual and contrasting seizures of rare fauna in the Mexico City area have raised important questions about the modus operandi of wildlife trafficking in and through Mexico’s…

Shrimp Gangs Rob, Extort, Kill in Ecuador

ECUADOR / 2 JAN 2021

The persistent robbery, extortion, assault and even murder of shrimp farm workers by armed gangs in Ecuador has led the shrimp sector to once more demand gun reforms, in a…

GameChangers 2020: How Black Markets Became the New Normal

CONTRABAND / 23 DEC 2020

In a region where 50 percent of the population already makes its living in the informal market, it was perhaps of little surprise that black markets exploded in 2020 amidst…

Social Media Used to Sell Exotic Animals in Brazil

BRAZIL / 9 DEC 2020

A spate of recent operations targeting wildlife trafficking rings in Brazil have highlighted the extent to which such groups have been increasingly relying on social media platforms to facilitate their…

Argentina Turns to DNA to Fight Cattle Rustling

ARGENTINA / 7 DEC 2020

Officials in Argentina have been discussing how DNA testing may be used to curb cattle rustling and rural crime in Santa Fe, indicating ministers will seek to apply fresh methods…

Organized Crime in 2020 – Highlights of InSight Crime’s Annual Conference

COLOMBIA / 4 DEC 2020

A number of Latin America’s leading academics, investigative journalists and security experts gathered virtually December 3 to discuss the most pressing developments in transnational organized crime across the region in…

Mako Sharks Gutted and Tossed on a Chilean Landfill

CHILE / 27 NOV 2020

The discovery of 17 shark carcasses discarded in a landfill in Chile indicates that illegal fishing practices may be on the rise as criminal actors continue to prey on marine…

Pirates of the Lake – Gangs Prey on Venezuelan Fishermen

ENVIRONMENTAL CRIME / 10 NOV 2020

Fisherman are denouncing increased piracy around Lake Valencia in northern Venezuela, which is weakening one of the last productive industries in the area.

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About InSight Crime

ABOUT US
THE ORGANIZATION

Strategic Communications Manager Job Description

12 FEB 2021

InSight Crime is looking for a full-time strategic communications manager. This person needs to be able to work in a fast-paced world of daily news, high-profile investigations, national and international…

THE ORGANIZATION

We Have Updated Our Website

4 FEB 2021

Welcome to our new home page. We have revamped the site to create a better display and reader experience.

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime Events – Border Crime: The Northern Triangle and Tri-Border Area

ARGENTINA / 25 JAN 2021

Through several rounds of extensive field investigations, our researchers have analyzed and mapped out the main illicit economies and criminal groups present in 39 border departments spread across the six countries of study – the Northern Triangle trio of Guatemala, Honduras, and El…

BRIEF

InSight Crime’s ‘Memo Fantasma’ Investigation Wins Simón Bolívar National Journalism Prize

COLOMBIA / 20 NOV 2020

The staff at InSight Crime was awarded the prestigious Simón Bolívar national journalism prize in Colombia for its two-year investigation into the drug trafficker known as “Memo Fantasma,” which was…

ANALYSIS

InSight Crime – From Uncovering Organized Crime to Finding What Works

COLOMBIA / 12 NOV 2020

This project began 10 years ago as an effort to address a problem: the lack of daily coverage, investigative stories and analysis of organized crime in the Americas. …