Haitian Prisoners Face Starvation and Death

Haiti prisons are overcrowded and judicial system failing, leading to prisoners dying of starvation.

How Religious Militias and Warrior Mentalities Mix in Rio de Janeiro

Brazil's city of Rio de Janeiro is suffering a major security crisis, as gender and religion affect organized crime in the city.

Dominican Republic Struggles to Curb Rampant Sex Trafficking

A network which sexually trafficked Colombian and Venezuelan women to the Dominican Republic has been dismantled.

United States Suddenly Keen to See Guatemala Extradite Human Smugglers

A US request has led Guatemala to dismantle a prolific human smuggling ring that smuggled migrants to the United States.

Reliance on Human Smugglers Continues to Kill Migrants at US-Mexico Border

As many as 50 migrants have been found dead inside a truck 150 miles north of the US-Mexico border.

Haiti Gangs Recruiting, Arming More Children

Gangs in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince are rounding up homeless and at-risk teens, who are increasingly being used as foot soldiers in gang wars that have forced schools to…

Indigenous Communities in Rural Mexico Get No Help Against Constant Criminal Threats

The death of two indigenous leaders in Guerrero, Mexico, has again drawn attention to the government’s negligent protection of indigenous communities targeted by criminal groups throughout Mexico. In a…

The Truth Comes Out

At the start of 2010, the former Colombian paramilitary leader Hernán Giraldo Serna was completing his sentence for drug trafficking in a US prison.

A Criminal Empire that Abused Girls and Women

It was 7:00 at night. Carolina was lying in bed and turned on the TV just as a news reporter announced: “One of the most bloodthirsty paramilitary leaders of the…

Journalist Attacks, Killings Spark Outrage in Mexico

A number of media workers in Mexico have been shot and killed, stabbed to death and ambushed in armed attacks to start 2022, as authorities continue to point the finger…

With US Policy, Mexico Crime Groups See Double the Opportunity in Northbound Migrants

Reported kidnappings have decreased significantly in Mexico, but in recent years, at least one out of every 10 kidnapping victims has been a migrant trying to reach the United States,…

Illegal Cigarettes Produced with Slave Labor in Brazil

Counterfeit cigarettes may appear harmless, but the illicit tobacco trade often spurs other criminal activities – with the latest case being the use of slave labor by a ring that…