David Gagne
Wednesday, June 10, 2015 - 06:56
Authorities in Venezuela have arrested eight members of the national police force on suspicion of kidnapping, the latest sign that reform efforts have failed to root out corruption within the country's police.
Thursday, May 21, 2015 - 06:12
In a recent survey, 70 percent of respondents said they believe Peru is in danger of becoming a narco-state, a reflection of perceived ties between drug traffickers and government institutions in the Andean nation.
Wednesday, May 6, 2015 - 07:44
A top US military official has lauded Honduras' efforts to combat drug trafficking, saying the country is no longer among the principal transit points for cocaine heading to the United States. But there are reasons to be skeptical of such a rosy outlook.
Friday, May 1, 2015 - 07:38
Costa Rica's authorities have arrested over a dozen alleged members of a drug trafficking network that officials say has contributed to rising violence, but the country's criminal dynamics indicate other local gangs will simply fill the underworld void.
Friday, March 27, 2015 - 07:27
Mexico's spending on defense equipment -- much of which is intended for use in combating organized crime -- via a U.S. military assistance program has skyrocketed the past year, raising doubts about the Mexican government's willingness to scale back militarization of the country's drug war.
Friday, March 27, 2015 - 07:25
The United Nations has criticized Guatemala's increasingly militarized approach to combating insecurity, a rebuke that could easily be applied to other countries in Central America's Northern Triangle region.
Wednesday, March 25, 2015 - 08:58
The United States has blacklisted nearly 20 gas stations in Mexico for their financial ties to organized crime over the last 10 years, yet a significant number are still operating and have franchise agreements with state oil company Pemex.
Tuesday, March 3, 2015 - 07:19
El Salvador's largest street gangs have indicated they wield sufficient power to influence the country's presidential elections, in a statement highlighting the gangs' use of violence as a political tool.
Friday, January 30, 2015 - 07:14
A new study suggests the number of guns trafficked from the United States to Mexico is higher than previously believed, underscoring the uncertainty that surrounds the cross-border weapons trade, as well as its impact on violence in Mexico.
Wednesday, December 10, 2014 - 06:49
Three Congressmen in Paraguay have been accused of links to Brazilian drug trafficking groups, as more politicians get drawn into what the local media is calling the "narcopolitics scandal."