The ELN's Repeated Demands for a Ceasefire in Colombia

In recent months, the ELN has made several attempts to reach a ceasefire but these have been continually rebuffed by the Colombian government, which claims the guerrilla group has no…

Three Massacres Expose Weakness of Mexico’s ‘Catch-all’ Security Policy

Recent massacres in three different regions of Mexico have shown the importance of analyzing local power structures to understand the causes of violence.

Brazil Police Killings Rise During Coronavirus Pandemic

The states of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro recorded upticks in numbers of killings by Brazilian police during the first months of 2020, even while crime rates plunged as…

A Fractured System - Mexico's Criminal Investigation Network

In 2015, Mexico City’s government launched an electronic system that would coordinate the work of police, experts and public ministries, to improve their investigative capacity and solve more crimes. Here…

Los Pachenca Holding On in Northern Colombia After Leader’s Death

In May 2019, Colombian President Iván Duque vowed to end Los Pachenca, stating that this was a promise from the country's security council. Just over a year on, that promise…

Brazen Murder of Soldiers Latest Incident to Raise Alarm in Uruguay

The unprecedented murder of three soldiers in Uruguay has again raised the alarm about the seemingly growing brazenness of criminal actors in a country long believed to be one of…

The Controversial New Deployment of US Troops in Colombia

The decision to send US troops into Colombia to help against drug trafficking is a troubling one, whether as part of the two countries' security strategy or connected to broader…

As Officer Murders Soar, Identity Crisis Plagues Mexico’s Local Police

Two municipal police officers, Omar Nieves and Noemí Esperanza, were on routine patrol, sitting in traffic in broad daylight on a highway in northern Celaya, when a small car pulled…

Colombia's High Commissioner for Peace Lays Out New Appeal to Armed Groups

Amid an unprecedented global health crisis, a national lockdown and uncertainty about the evolution of the country's main criminal actors, the Colombian government is trying to encourage members of…

In Honduras, Coronavirus Lockdown is Enforced at Gunpoint

Militarized police forces are at the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic in Honduras. Yet after more than a decade building a formidable state security arsenal, is the country's law enforcement…

Why is US Sending Navy Warships to Thwart Drug Smugglers?

Though described as a strategy to keep traffickers from exploiting the coronavirus pandemic, the US Navy’s recent deployment of warships to the Caribbean was a long time in the making…

Costa Rica's Security Minister Talks Cocaine, Killings, and Organized Crime

Costa Rica has had a tumultuous start to 2020. The country seized the largest ever haul of cocaine within its borders and homicides were up in the first two months…