InSight Crime
Monday, October 5, 2015 - 06:17
Security forces announced they had finally killed the leader of a guerrilla group dedicated to drug trafficking along the Venezuelan border, who had built up his splinter faction into a drug trafficking force, a potential model in a post-conflict Colombia.
Friday, October 2, 2015 - 06:11
The structure and operations of El Salvador's Barrio 18 street gang increasingly resemble that of a corporation. Government investigations reveal the gang is keeping careful accounting records of money earned from extortion and making strategic investments in local businesses.
Thursday, October 1, 2015 - 06:46
An alleged top member of the customs fraud ring in Guatemala known as "La Linea" has incriminated former President Otto Perez Molina and Vice President Roxana Baldetti, an ominous sign of what lies ahead for the fallen presidential duo.
Wednesday, September 30, 2015 - 04:58
Police have killed a major drug trafficker operating in Colombia’s eastern region, possibly creating a power vacuum along important drug transit corridors leading to neighboring Venezuela and Brazil.
Wednesday, September 30, 2015 - 04:52
Several proposals meant to raise money for El Salvador's security initiatives -- including a so-called cell phone "tax" -- have generated significant controversy. This suggests that as bad as things may be in El Salvador, the situation hasn't yet reached a point where elites are willing to come together for the sake of raising security funds.
Tuesday, September 29, 2015 - 06:03
The demand for illicit weapons in El Salvador has surged to such an extent that it has impacted the black market in neighboring Guatemala. Raul Mijango, perhaps the last supporter of a dialogue between the government and gangs as a tool for stopping the rising violence in El Salvador, has stepped aside.
Monday, September 28, 2015 - 05:57
According to an unidentified source in the Honduran security forces, drug trafficking has dropped significantly in Honduras thanks to military and intelligence work, the latest in a series of assertions that the country is no longer a major hub for organized crime.
Tuesday, September 22, 2015 - 06:35
Police in Brazil have captured a little known figure that has played a major role in the historical development of Latin America's drug trade, and whose links to prominent drug traffickers stretch from Mexico's "El Chapo" Guzman to Colombia's Pablo Escobar.
Monday, September 21, 2015 - 06:42
Drug flights between the Peru-Bolivia air bridge have a relatively brief yet intense history. Hundreds of flights have created a new drug boom, especially in Peru's Apurimac and Ene River Valley (VRAE).
Friday, September 18, 2015 - 06:08
Members of the MS13 in Guatemala are now investing their earnings from extortion in legal enterprises, according to a new report, although it remains unclear to what extent the street gang has become involved in international drug trafficking.