All About Synthetic Drugs

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Uruguay Makes Historic Seizure of European Meth

ARGENTINA / 10 AUG 2022

Uruguay has made Latin America's largest ever seizure of European methamphetamine, marking a new phase in drug trafficking dynamics.

What Mexico Gets Wrong About Its Fentanyl Problem

FENTANYL / 14 JUL 2022

An announcement by the Mexican government about the largest seizure of illegal fentanyl in the country's history appeared to ignore the complex realities of how this synthetic opioid is produced.

Fentanyl Sold Under the Counter by Paraguay Pharmacies

FENTANYL / 13 JUL 2022

Paraguayan authorities have dismantled a network of pharmacies that illegally sold morphine and fentanyl.

Tusi: The Pink Drug Cocktail That Tricked Latin America

ARGENTINA / 6 JUL 2022

Tusi, a pink synthetic drug powder, is increasing its share of Latin America's drug markets.

Why Did Latin America's Drug Trade Thrive During COVID-19?

ARGENTINA / 5 JUL 2022

Why did drug trafficking enjoy such a boom during the COVID-19 pandemic…

Chile Receiving Synthetic Drugs Galore From Netherlands, Belgium

CHILE / 1 JUL 2022

Authorities in Iquique and San Antonio, port cities in northern Chile, discovered nearly 475,000 MDMA tablets on various ships departing from the Netherlands and Belgium in the past two months.

Ketamine Dominating Synthetic Drug Market in Chile

CHILE / 23 JUN 2022

Ketamine has become all but the most popular synthetic drug in Chile, as traffickers are increasingly marketing ketamine to buyers as Tusi.

Sinaloa State Dominates Fentanyl and Meth Production in Mexico

FENTANYL / 10 JUN 2022

Authorities in Mexico's northern state of Sinaloa have made a string of synthetic drug lab busts, underscoring how the state has emerged as a fentanyl and methamphetamine production hub.

Paraguay May Be Shifting from Producing LSD and MDMA to Consuming Them

PARAGUAY / 10 JUN 2022

Authorities in Paraguay have dismantled a ring that sold a range of synthetic drugs, indicating that this subset of the drug market in the South American country continues to expand.

Why São Paulo’s Guarulhos Airport Became Cocaine Dispatch Point to Europe and Africa

BRAZIL / 27 MAY 2022

Cocaine seizures have jumped at the Guarulhos International Airport near São Paulo, Brazil, showing that neither COVID-19 nor international law enforcement cooperation have pushed traffickers away from South America’s busiest…

Sonora: Growing Air Corridor for Synthetic Drugs on US-Mexico Border

FENTANYL / 18 APR 2022

Mexican authorities have intercepted a succession of flights carrying synthetic drugs to the northern state of Sonora, raising questions over whether the border territory is acquiring greater importance as a…

Endless Chemical Innovations Are Killing Thousands of Americans

METHAMPHETAMINE / 11 MAR 2022

The US' annual drug report has warned about the continued growth of synthetic drugs, warning of a glut of chemical precursors, and even pre-precursors, for fentanyl coming from China and…

The Three Criminal Fronts Sparking Violence in Sonora, Mexico

BELTRAN LEYVA ORG / 7 JAN 2022

Murders have spiked in Mexico's northern state of Sonora, thanks to the volatile mix of a veteran drug trafficker's alleged return, internal disputes within the Sinaloa Cartel, and an offensive…

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Criminal Enterprise on the High Seas

12 AUG 2022

Last week, InSight Crime published the second half of an extensive investigation into Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing that plagues the waters of nine Latin American countries. Among the stories were how…

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Oceans Pillaged in Central America and the Caribbean

5 AUG 2022

Last week, InSight Crime published the first installment of a nine-part investigation uncovering the hidden depths of Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing in Latin America. The first installment covered Central America and…

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Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua Becomes Truly Transnational

29 JUL 2022

This week, InSight Crime published a deep dive into the total control that Venezuelan mega-gang, Tren de Aragua, has over the lives of those it smuggles between Venezuela and Chile…

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Turkish Traffickers Delivering Latin American Cocaine to Persian Gulf

15 JUL 2022

Last week, InSight Crime published the second half of an investigation piecing together the emerging role of Turkish cocaine traffickers in supplying Russia and the Persian Gulf, which are among…

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Turkey as a Lynchpin in European Cocaine Pipeline

8 JUL 2022

InSight Crime is extending its investigation into the cocaine pipeline to Europe, and tracking the growing connections between Latin American drug traffickers and European criminal organizations. This led us to…

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