GameChangers 2022: How the Chapitos Became Hyper-Capitalist Narcos

The Chapitos are winning the internal war for the Sinaloa Cartel and doing it in a different way than their father ever considered.

GameChangers 2022: ‘Pink Cocaine,’ Cross-Border Battles, and the Frustrating Fight Against Mafia States

InSight Crime's GameChangers 2022 looks back at the most consequential criminal stories across Latin America this year.

Human Smugglers Take to the Waves Along Mexico’s Pacific Coast

Increased security on land borders is forcing more migrants to enter Mexico from Guatemala by sea, running the risk of drowning.

Coca Cultivation Grows in Guerrero, Mexico, but Scalability Remains Doubtful

Coca cultivation in Guerrero, Mexico, has grown ten times in a year. But Mexico remains far from achieving mass coca cultivation.

With Legalization, Marijuana Trafficking Routes Evolve Along US-Mexico Border

The legalization of marijuana at the state level in the US has forced organized crime groups in Mexico to adapt and look for new markets.

How Latin America's Synthetic Drug Traffickers Launder Dirty Cash

The rise of synthetic drugs, in particular fentanyl and methamphetamine, has changed the landscape of opportunity for drug traffickers in Latin America. Highly potent and highly addictive, synthetic narcotics are…

State Officials Targeted as CJNG, Sinaloa Cartel Clash in Zacatecas, Mexico

Violence between the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco Cartel in Zacatecas has now seen judged and police chiefs being targeted.

Mexican Drug Trafficking Organizations' New Marijuana Strategies

In response to changes in the international marijuana trade, Mexico-based drug trafficking groups have shifted their strategies.

As Marijuana Fades, Sinaloa’s Organized Crime Does Not

The shift from plant-based to synthetic drugs has upended the relationship between small farmers and crime groups in Mexico’s Golden Triangle.

The Chapitos’ Monopoly on Drug Sales in Culiacán, Sinaloa

Local drug sales in Sinaloa’s capital city are controlled by one of the most notorious and powerful organized crime families in Mexico.

Executive Summary and Major Findings

Today, most of the marijuana consumed in the United States is produced domestically, changing the game in the international drug market.

Capture of Hell Troop Leader Could Mean Trouble Brewing in Tamaulipas, Mexico

Nuevo Laredo was set ablaze following the capture of a Northeast Cartel leader. But what does this mean for the city's criminal dynamics?…