Is Northeast Cartel Expansion Driving Killings of Police in Nuevo León, Mexico? 

Killings of police officers in Mexico’s northern state of Nuevo León have increased 143% between 2019 and 2022 amid a broader uptick in homicides, which overlaps with the Northeast Cartel’s…

Gaitanistas and Tren de Aragua Unlikely to War Over Bogotá, Colombia

Videos and pamphlets allegedly published by the Gaitanistas in Bogotá have made Venezuela's Tren de Aragua a target.

DataInSights: The Cocaine Problem Ecuador's Presidential Candidates Cannot Wish Away

We take a rough look at how much cocaine goes through Ecuador, how this amount has grown, and how it has coincided with rising homicides. …

Colombia's 'Total Peace' 1 Year On: Less State Violence, Stronger Criminal Groups

Colombia's President Petro announced his Total Peace plan 12 months ago. But how has his flagship policy played out?…

Is Gang Legalization Responsible for Ecuador’s Security Crisis? 

InSight Crime spoke with Brotherton to learn more about the history of gang legalization in Ecuador and examine its impact on the current security situation.

Uruguay's Homegrown Crime Groups Likely to Stay Local, Study Says

Mounting homicides and increased drug trafficking have raised concerns about organized crime in Uruguay. Recent studies presented to the Ministry of the Interior came to mixed conclusions: Uruguay is unlikely…

4 Reasons Why Ecuador Is in a Security Crisis  

The murder of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio is the result of an unprecedented wave of violence by criminal groups in Ecuador.  …

Firearms, Disappearances, Prison Overcrowding: Brazil’s Problems Are Getting Worse

An annual review of Brazil's security landscape paints a highly pessimistic outlook for the country's criminal woes.

The Rise and Fall of the Choneros, Ecuador’s Drug Trafficking Opportunists

The Choneros were once Ecuador's premier drug trafficking gang. InSight Crime documents their steady rise and their rapid fall.

Crime Groups Drive Pre-Election Violence in Mexico, Brazil: Study

Acts of violence directly targeting government officials are more common in Mexico and Brazil than in other parts of the world.

Massacre in Honduran Women's Prison: A Tragedy Foretold

A massacre in Honduras is the deadliest at a woman's prison in Latin American history. InSight Crime recently visited this prison to assess conditions.

DataInSights: Latin America’s Homicide Hotspots 

From Colima to Caracas, some parts of Latin America have stubbornly high homicide rates, far higher than the rest of their country.