All About Extortion

EXTORTION / 2 MAR 2012

The Honduran Congress passed legislation doubling the prison sentence for extortion, among other measures, raising questions about the government's anti-gang tactics and the strain being put on the country's penitentiaries.

EXTORTION / 23 FEB 2012

Guatemalan authorities are investigating reports that "citizen security committees" have committed abuses against civilians in a suburb of Guatemala City.

EXTORTION / 1 DEC 2011

As Mexico's security situation has deteriorated, small-time criminals have attempted to take advantage of the chaos by claiming to be members of the most feared gangs and carrying out "virtual…

EXTORTION / 23 NOV 2011

By 2040 Mexico can expect to see a decimated drug export industry but a flourishing domestic drug market, while the rise in electronic money and decline in cash will hit…

EXTORTION / 18 NOV 2011

While larger businesses can escape unscathed, small businesses in Mexico often have no other option in the extortion economy but to pay up, or get involved in criminal activities themselves.

COLOMBIA / 15 NOV 2011

Ex-police in two of the most troubled Colombian provinces have allegedly moved up the criminal ladder, shifting from tacitly supporting criminal groups to becoming players in the underworld in…

BRAZIL / 8 NOV 2011

Authorities in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro state have issued arrest warrants for nine people in connection with an extortion ring that demanded bribes from those visiting inmates.

BRAZIL / 26 OCT 2011

Brazil's elite military police are trying to build ties with communities and undo the harm done by officers who allegedly abused residents in Complexo da Mare, a favela which has…

EXTORTION / 14 SEP 2011

Proceso magazine reports that its latest edition, which features a cover article on the “sinister history” of a casino magnate and his ties to officials, has been bought in bulk…

EXTORTION / 12 SEP 2011

With the departure of Honduran Security Minister Oscar Alvarez, an outspoken foe of police corruption, the country is facing an uphill battle as it grapples with attempts to reform its…

EXTORTION / 12 SEP 2011

The mass killing at a Monterrey casino, thought to be linked to a protection racket, draws attention to the growth in Mexico's extortion rates, which have more than doubled during…

EXTORTION / 7 SEP 2011

As the Mexican city of Monterrey struggles to recover from the effects of an arson attack on a casino which killed 52 people, corrupt local governance is again…

About InSight Crime

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Human Trafficking Investigation Published in Leading Mexican Newspaper

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Leading Mexican media outlet El Universal featured our most recent investigation, “The Geography of Human Trafficking on the US-Mexico Border,” on the front page of its August 30…

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InSight Crime's Coverage of Ecuador Leads International Debate

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This week, Jeremy McDermott, co-director of InSight Crime, was interviewed by La Sexta, a Spanish television channel, about the situation of extreme violence and insecurity in Ecuador…