Honduras' private sector is calling for police to step up action against extortion in response to a series of aggressive attacks by criminals seeking payments from larger companies, an apparent…
Convicts were able to force the Venezuelan government to transfer more than 2,500 detainees to their prison for the express purpose of collecting extortion payments from them in a case…
More than two dozen buses have been torched so far this year in Honduras, a fiery display of the consequences when numerous gangs earn a significant portion of their revenue…
Claims that elements of the FARC guerrilla organization are defying its leadership's orders to stop extorting people during the final stages of peace talks with the government of Colombia provide…
Data released by a special Honduras police unit formed to combat extortion indicates the country is making progress against an illegal industry responsible for many deaths and massive economic losses.
The leader of Colombia's FARC guerrillas has ordered members to stop charging its "revolutionary tax," a symbolic end to the group's extortion practices that may prove difficult to enforce.
A recent report on extortion in Guatemala indicates that the criminal practice is mostly an urban phenomenon perpetrated by gang members who act with little fear of consequence. …
Inmates in El Salvador are reportedly conducting extortion operations via smartphones despite new measures to curb the criminal activity, showcasing how criminals continue to find new ways to skirt government regulations…
A joint operation by Argentine and Chinese authorities rounded up dozens of suspects with alleged ties to the "Chinese Mafia," a move that officials described as an important blow against…
Citizens in El Salvador are doubtful that the government's tough anti-gang measures will have any impact, further indication that the public has little faith in the authorities to pull the…
A judge in El Salvador has sentenced members of the MS13 street gang to 200.5 years in prison on extortion charges, another sign that the judicial system is moving in…
Reports have emerged from Mexico's turbulent state of Guerrero of children extorting their teachers and schoolmates under threat of attack, a stark display of the social depths to which organized crime…
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InSight Crime Events – Border Crime: The Northern Triangle and Tri-Border Area
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…
InSight Crime’s ‘Memo Fantasma’ Investigation Wins Simón Bolívar National Journalism Prize
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…
InSight Crime – From Uncovering Organized Crime to Finding What Works
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. …
InSight Crime – Ten Years of Investigating Organized Crime in the Americas
In early 2009, Steven Dudley was in Medellín, Colombia. His assignment: speak to a jailed paramilitary leader in the Itagui prison, just south of the city. Following his interview inside…
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