Michael Lohmuller
Thursday, May 19, 2016 - 06:43
El Salvador has extended a state of emergency in seven prisons for one year, subjecting inmates to heightened security restrictions as officials look to disrupt gangs' use of prisons as centers of operations.
Thursday, April 28, 2016 - 06:48
Data compiled by a Mexican civil society group confirms a disturbing trend noted in Mexico in recent months -- violence is not only rising sharply it is also spreading to regions not previously considered organized crime hotspots.
Monday, April 25, 2016 - 05:46
The United Nations' special assembly on drug policy ended without significant changes to existing drug conventions despite a push for reform from Latin American countries seeking a less prohibitionist regime. With the huge obstacles to a new international consensus made apparent, reformist countries around the region instead look set to continue national level experiments with drug policy.
Thursday, April 21, 2016 - 06:04
A recent report on poppy in Mexico's Guerrero state highlights both the economic benefits and violent repercussions the plant's cultivation -- necessary for producing heroin -- brings to local farming communities.
Tuesday, April 19, 2016 - 05:46
Witness testimony given to Mexico's human rights agency has implicated federal police in the 2014 disappearance of 43 student protestors from Iguala, opening a new line of inquiry in a landmark case that has yielded few clear answers.
Monday, April 11, 2016 - 05:22
Colombia's military has outlined areas of focus for its future functions should peace agreements be signed with the FARC and ELN guerrilla groups, several of which involve its potentially problematic, but likely necessary, role in anti-crime efforts.
Monday, April 4, 2016 - 05:14
Colombia's government and ELN guerrillas have announced the start of formal peace negotiations, but the government's lengthy peace process with rebel group the FARC cautions against expecting a quick resolution to more than 50 years of conflict.
Thursday, February 4, 2016 - 05:21
Colombia has extended a nationwide ban on carrying firearms until the end of 2016, an attempt to reduce violent deaths at a time the nation is attempting to consolidate peace.
Wednesday, February 3, 2016 - 05:09
Santos made the request during a January 28 interview with the Associated Press (AP) at the presidential palace in Bogotá, saying it would be appropriate for the United States to remove the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia – FARC) from a State Department list of terrorist organizations once a peace deal is signed.
Thursday, January 14, 2016 - 07:54
The capture of Mexico's most wanted fugitive, Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, raises the question if the Sinaloa Cartel's criminal operations will be significantly affected. In short, the answer is: probably not.