Vigilantes

All About Vigilantes

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A Guatemala Arrest, a US Indictment, and a Mexico Attack

KNIGHTS TEMPLAR / 2 APR 2021

Following the arrest of a former Mexican mayor in Guatemala, US prosecutors unveiled an indictment against him and criminal rivals allegedly attacked the town he once ruled.

Guatemala Self-Defense Groups Reminder of Security Concerns

EL SALVADOR / 25 JUL 2018

Authorities in Guatemala fear that self-defense groups operating in response to a lack of state presence may turn into criminal organizations engaged in illicit activities, something authorities throughout the region…

In El Salvador, a Thin Line Between Community Policing and Vigilantism

BARRIO 18 / 31 MAY 2018

Authorities in El Salvador are keen to expand a much-praised local policing model believed to have helped two rural communities tackle bloody gang control. But a visit to the areas…

Why Latin America Dominates Global Homicide Rankings

BRAZIL / 12 MAR 2018

Year after year, Latin America and the Caribbean dominate global city and country homicide rankings. But what sets this corner of the world apart from the rest? And what makes…

Mexico's Michoacán a Tangle of Rivals

MEXICO / 28 NOV 2017

The decline of the Caballeros Templarios has left Michoacán at the mercy of a tangle of rivals, none of whom appear able to reassert the supremacy that previously imposed a…

Apparent Extrajudicial Execution in Mexico Adds to the Growing List

BRAZIL / 5 SEP 2017

A video of what appears to be a series of extrajudicial killings by a Mexican police officer in the border city of Reynosa is yet another example of how a…

Mexico Authorities Schizophrenic on Self-Defense Groups

MEXICO / 19 JUL 2017

The presence of armed civilian self-defense groups across Mexico will only cause "anarchy," according to the country's interior minister. His recent comments underscore a lack of coherent public policy on…

El Salvador Strikes against Death Squads Led by Army, Police

EL SALVADOR / 23 JUN 2017

Police and army officials were among those arrested in El Salvador's biggest opperation against anti-gang death squads in recent memory, as the authorities finally move against the deadly militias that…

Mexico Vigilantes Use Gruesome Facebook Video to Promote Their Cause

MEXICO / 14 JUN 2017

A self-defense group in Mexico has turned to social media to boast about its members' efforts to take justice into their own hands, a reminder of the complex role…

Mexico Police Killings Illustrate Failures of Vigilantism in Michoacán

MEXICO / 29 MAY 2017

Police forces in Mexico's state of Michoacán have increasingly been subject to attacks, a reminder of the ongoing security crisis affecting the region and the government's shortsighted response to local…

Bad Idea: El Salvador Discusses Arming Civilians to Combat Crime

EL SALVADOR / 9 MAY 2017

The heads of El Salvador's executive and legislative branches are discussing the possibility of having the state arm community groups in the country's interior in order to combat the MS13…

El Salvador Self-Defense Group Poses Potential Security Concerns

EL SALVADOR / 26 APR 2017

A self-defense group operating in a rural community of El Salvador is asking for formal legal recognition, a reminder of security concerns elsewhere in the region caused by similar non-state actors…

Venezuela Security Forces Were Killed in Record Numbers in 2016

COLECTIVOS / 25 JAN 2017

More than one police officer or military soldier was killed per day in Venezuela in 2016, a figure that highlights the steadily degrading security situation for which recent government policies…

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About InSight Crime

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THE ORGANIZATION

Unraveling the Web of Elites Connected to Organized Crime

27 JUL 2021

InSight Crime published Elites and Organized Crime in Nicaragua, a deep dive into the relationships between criminal actors and elites in that Central American nation.

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime’s Greater Focus on US-Mexico Border

20 JUL 2021

InSight Crime has decided to turn many of its investigative resources towards understanding and chronicling the criminal dynamics along the US-Mexico border.

THE ORGANIZATION

Key Arrests and Police Budget Increases Due to InSight Crime Investigations

8 JUL 2021

With Memo Fantasma’s arrest, InSight Crime has proven that our investigations can and will uncover major criminal threats in the Americas.

THE ORGANIZATION

Organized Crime’s Influence on Gender-Based Violence

30 JUN 2021

InSight Crime investigator Laura N. Ávila spoke on organized crime and gender-based violence at the launch of a research project by the United Nations Development Programme.