All About Illegal Mining

COLOMBIA / 7 DEC 2015

Authorities in Colombia have dismantled a network of illegal mining operators allegedly working for drug trafficking group the Urabeños, providing further evidence of how the country's criminal organizations are deepening…

EXTORTION / 11 NOV 2015

Criminal gang the Guerreros Unidos are reportedly terrorizing a local community living near one of Mexico's biggest gold mines.

COCA / 4 NOV 2015

Authorities in Colombia say the threat of illegal mining could exceed that of drug trafficking, a questionable claim that fails to take into account inherent differences between the two criminal…

ILLEGAL MINING / 30 OCT 2015

Peru's recent approval of fairly rudimentary monitoring of currency exchange services is one sign of how far the country has to go in its anti-money laundering efforts.

BRAZIL / 14 OCT 2015

The Cinta-Larga indigenous group in Brazil is on the brink of collapse as they struggle to confront illegal mining in one of the world's largest diamond deposits.

COCA / 22 SEP 2015

It was one of the few successful drug crop substitutions in Colombia’s history -- albeit one led by armed groups and an underground economy. But now, the migration from coca…

BOLIVIA / 5 AUG 2015

In this special investigation, Peruvian investigative journalism website OjoPublico traces the trail of illegal gold from Colombia, Ecuador, and Bolivia to companies in the United States.

GOLD / 4 AUG 2015

The inside story of the companies accused of financing South America's illegal gold trade.

ILLEGAL MINING / 16 JUN 2015

Illegal mining in eastern Venezuela has expanded rapidly in recent years, drawing attention to a mining region where no large underworld structures are known to operate but that nonetheless offers…

COLOMBIA / 13 MAY 2015

Colombian authorities delivered what they said was the most significant blow against illegal mining in a decade, meant to undermine a major source of funding for the nation's largest guerrilla…

ILLEGAL MINING / 22 APR 2015

A new video of a caravan of hitmen in northern Mexican offers a rare view of the fighting forces of Mexico’s criminal organizations, and may reflect the ongoing incursion of…

ILLEGAL MINING / 13 APR 2015

The head of a Canadian mining company has admitted to interacting with Mexico criminal groups in order to facilitate mining operations, illustrating a common regional dynamic that is rarely discussed…

About InSight Crime

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime's Chemical Precursor Report continues to be a reference in the region

19 MAY 2023

For the second week in a row, our investigation into the flow of precursor chemicals for the manufacture of synthetic drugs in Mexico has been cited by multiple regional media…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime’s Chemical Precursor Report Widely Cited

THE ORGANIZATION / 12 MAY 2023

We are proud to see that our recently published investigation into the supply chain of chemical precursors feeding Mexico’s synthetic drug production has been warmly received.

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime’s Paraguay Election Coverage Draws Attention 

5 MAY 2023

InSight Crime looked at the various anti-organized crime policies proposed by the candidates in Paraguay’s presidential election, which was won on April 30 by Santiago Peña. Our pre-election coverage was cited…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime Cited in OAS, CARICOM Reports

28 APR 2023

This week, InSight Crime’s work was cited nine times in a new report by the Organization of American States (OAS) titled “The Impact of Organized Crime on Women,…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime Staff Cited as Experts by International Media

21 APR 2023

This week, InSight Crime deputy editor, Juan Diego Posada, was interviewed by the Associated Press about connections between the ex-FARC mafia and Brazilian criminal groups, and…