Weekly InSight
August 11, 202 ([link removed]) 3
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This week, InSight Crime publishes a five-part investigation, "Stolen Amazon: the Roots of Environmental Crime in the Tri-Border Regions ([link removed]) ," examining the complex criminal dynamics of the remote but ecologically vital zones where Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, and Brazil’s borders intersect.

We also delve into ([link removed]) the factors shaping Ecuador’s security landscape, which reached a new low this Wednesday with the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio.

In Colombia, we unpack how attempts to negotiate peace with armed groups could be impacted by shifts in power ([link removed]) among the country’s guerrillas and revelations ([link removed]) that the president’s son accepted drug money to finance his father’s campaign.

Additionally, we look at ([link removed]) the role of corrupt officials in facilitating Venezuelan human trafficking networks and outline ([link removed]) the latest developments in El Salvador’s controversial security plan.


** Latest Investigation
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** Stolen Amazon: The Roots of Environmental Crime in the Tri-Border Regions ([link removed])
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The Amazon has become a hotspot for environmental exploitation by criminal groups. Intersecting Colombia, Peru, Brazil, and Venezuela, the tri-border regions of these four countries are the extraction points for the illegal gold and timber that feeds the finances of Colombian guerrillas, timber entrepreneurs, and even legal companies. Meanwhile, coca crops and clandestine airstrips are expanding into remote corners of the Amazon, with the river arteries that connect these countries serving as highways for drug transport.

Across five chapters, "Stolen Amazon: The Roots of Environmental Crime in the Tri-Border Regions ([link removed]) " shines a light on the hidden plundering of the world's largest rainforest.
Read all five chapters:
1. Environmental Crimes Plague Amazon’s Tri-Border Regions ([link removed])
2. Digging Into a Toxic Trade: Illegal Mining in Amazon Tri-Border Regions ([link removed])
3. Beneath the Surface of Timber Trafficking on the Peru-Colombia-Brazil Border ([link removed])
4. Expanding Drug Trafficking on Peru’s Borders With Colombia and Brazil ([link removed])
5. Challenges and Opportunities in Protecting Amazon Tri-Border Regions ([link removed])


** Featured
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All News ([link removed]) >
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4 Reasons Why Ecuador Is in a Security Crisis

The murder of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio dominated headlines this week, marking the culmination of an unprecedented spiral of violence. With Ecuador’s homicide rate growing ([link removed]) year-on-year and criminal groups increasingly targeting the state, the government has struggled to respond effectively. The country’s rise as a cocaine transit hub helps explain the security crisis, but that is only part of the picture…
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** NewsAnalysis
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All News ([link removed]) >
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** Has Narco-Money Once Again Infiltrated Political Campaigns in Colombia? ([link removed])
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The Colombian president’s son has admitted accepting money from known criminals to finance his father’s campaign...

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** El Salvador Escalates Gang Crackdown With New Measures ([link removed])
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With the deployment of thousands of soldiers to rural El Salvador and new legislation permitting the trial of hundreds of people at a time ...

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** Corrupt Officials Key to Trafficking Networks in Venezuela ([link removed])
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The recent arrest of a military officer involved in a human trafficking ring in Venezuela exposes the oft-ignored and covert participation...

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** Guerrilla Resurrection: Shifts in Power Among Colombia's Ex-FARC Mafia ([link removed])
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As one former rebel leader reappears and urges his army to continue a losing fight, a rival...


** Impact
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What We Do ([link removed])

This week, media outlets and regional organizations sought the expertise of InSight Crime investigators on a range of crime-related issues.

Mexico expert Victoria Dittmar spoke to ([link removed]) radio station El Heraldo de México about US government claims that fentanyl was being produced in Mexico with precursors imported from abroad.

Read our most recent fentanyl investigation > ([link removed])

Project manager Sergio Saffon participated in an international seminar organized by US non-profit, Witness, where he spoke about the challenges that AI-generated content brings to investigative journalism.

Read our latest article on artificial intelligence in crime > ([link removed])

Investigator Henry Shuldiner was interviewed by the Inter-American Dialogue’s Latin America Advisor newsletter about rising insecurity in Costa Rica.

Read our Costa Rica coverage > ([link removed])


** This Week's Criminal Profile: ex-FARC Mafia
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Last week, InSight Crime mapped out the complex network of criminal entities that make up Colombia’s ex-FARC mafia.

Read our profile of the Ex-FARC Mafia >  ([link removed])
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The ex-FARC mafia are a series of criminal structures that emerged during and after peace negotiations between the Colombian government...
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** Latest Article ([link removed])
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Guerrilla Resurrection: Shifts in Power Among Colombia's Ex-FARC Mafia ([link removed])


** Media Mentions
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About Us ([link removed])
August 4, 2023
THE ECONOMIST ([link removed])

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"We’re now in an extremely fragmented criminal panorama,” InSight Crime co-director Jeremy McDermott told The Economist, in an article about the plummeting price of cocaine."
Read our cocaine coverage > ([link removed])


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