** Weekly InSight
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March 1, 2024
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This week, InSight Crime published ([link removed]) the latest chapter of our investigation into precursor chemicals for the production of fentanyl. We explore the role of countries including India, Turkey, the United States, and Germany, all important sources of chemicals used for the manufacture of synthetic drugs. Regulations of these chemicals are often inconsistent between countries and poorly enforced, giving criminal groups plenty of choice on the international precursor market.
Also this week …
The trial of former Honduran president, Juan Orlando Hernández, continues ([link removed]) in the United States. In dramatic opening arguments, lawyers quoted Shakespeare: “Hell is empty and all the devils are here.” The first week of the trial has implicated three former presidents for receiving drug money, and testimony from a former member of the Sinaloa Cartel has indicated that Hernández received more financial backing from the group than previously thought.
InSight Crime’s podcast explores ([link removed]) the changing criminal dynamics and government approaches surrounding coca cultivation in the Colombian department of Putumayo. We tell the story of Ana, a former leader of a coca cooperative, and explore how coca cultivation initially empowered her but later put her life at risk.
In Haiti, continued surges in violence keep the country in the news. InSight Crime talked ([link removed]) to the author of a new book that outlines how decades of foreign intervention have contributed to Haiti’s institutional crisis and how organized crime has filled gaps left by the state.
In Colombia, we report ([link removed]) from the border town of Cúcuta, where the arrival of Venezuelan criminal groups including Tren de Aragua and AK 47 has led to a rise in homicide rates. We write about how these groups got there and what their increasing control means for the city.
Finally, InSight Crime takes a look ([link removed]) at Latin America’s results on the 2023 Corruption Perception Index. But how useful is the measure at describing corruption trends in the region today?
This and more below.
** Latest Chapter ([link removed])
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** Beyond China: How Other Countries Provide Precursor Chemicals to Mexico ([link removed])
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On September 21, 2021, Javier Algredo Vázquez was on his way to a US law enforcement office to reclaim chemical substances authorities had seized from him days earlier. In some respects, his trip that day was a remarkable act of hubris. But in other respects, it could be seen as business as usual.
The 50-year-old was born in Mexico and had lived with his family for decades in Queens County, New York, where he had worked at a prestigious hotel chain for over 15 years. But Algredo was also an entrepreneur. In the decade prior, he’d created a company that did regular business with chemical distributors in various countries. His brother, Carlos, was also a businessman with a seemingly prominent chemical import company in Mexico.
Read the investigation > ([link removed])
** New Episode: Daughter of Coca
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In the second episode of The InSight Crime Podcast, “Daughter of Coca ([link removed]) ,” we follow the story of Ana, a community leader in Putumayo, Colombia who has both cultivated coca herself and worked to convince her neighbors to replace the crop with alternatives. Through her story, we will delve into historical, social, and political complexities surrounding coca, and its impact on communities. Transcripts of the podcast, and related coverage in English and Spanish are available on InSight Crime’s website.
Subscribe to the show on your favorite platform, available on Spotify ([link removed]) , YouTube ([link removed]) , Apple Podcasts ([link removed]) , and Amazon Music ([link removed]) .
** NewsAnalysis
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** Honduras ‘Narco-State’ on Trial in US ([link removed])
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The first week of the trial of Honduras’ ex-President Juan Orlando Hernández was marked by dramatic testimony that detailed how drug money corrupted every level of the … ([link removed])
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** How Haiti’s ‘Aid State’ Has Fueled Organized Crime ([link removed])
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As Haiti continues to make headlines amid struggles to control crime and insecurity, a new book traces the roots of the institutional weaknesses that have aided the growth and … ([link removed])
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** With Venezuelan Criminal Groups Strengthening, Violence in Cúcuta Rises ([link removed])
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The principal crossing point from Venezuela into Colombia, the frontier city of Cúcuta, has seen rising levels of violence as it struggles to … ([link removed])
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** What the Corruption Perceptions Index Actually Says About Corruption In Latin America ([link removed])
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Latin American countries continued to score poorly on Transparency International’s annual Corruption … ([link removed])
** Impact
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What We Do > ([link removed])
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This week, El Salvador President Nayib Bukele posted InSight Crime’s 2023 Homicide Round-Up graphic on X, formerly Twitter. “From being the most dangerous country in the world to the safest in the Western Hemisphere,” he said in a post ([link removed]) that received hundreds of thousands of views.
InSight Crime has provided in-depth coverage of the El Salvadoran government’s ruthless crackdown on the country’s street gangs, which is credited for driving the sharp fall in homicide rates. However, our reporting also emphasizes that this approach has come at a high cost and that the official homicide data does not include deaths of gang members or deaths at the hands of authorities.
Read the Homicide Roundup > ([link removed])
Read the El Salvador Investigation > ([link removed])
** This Week's Criminal Profile: The Sinaloa Cartel ([link removed])
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The Sinaloa Cartel is one of the world’s most powerful criminal organizations. The cartel has operations in 17 Mexican states and a presence in at least 50 countries. Like many cartels, the group’s origins were in contraband smuggling. However, cocaine and synthetic drugs like methamphetamine and fentanyl, have turbocharged the group’s financial power.
This power was on full display at the trial ([link removed]) of Honduras ex-President Juan Orlando Hernández which continues this week in New York. A witness alleged that the cartel’s former leader, Joaquín Guzmán Loera, alias “El Chapo,” visited Honduras personally to deliver a $1 million contribution to Hernández’s 2013 winning campaign. In further testimony, a former cartel member described making additional campaign contributions to Hernández’s National Party amounting to $2.4 million.
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Read our Sinaloa Cartel profile > ([link removed])
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Read our Mexico Coverage > ([link removed])
** Media Mentions
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About Us > ([link removed])
February 28, 2024
Altana ([link removed])
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"In part 2 of its series on the synthetic drug trade, InSight Crime dives into the other countries beyond China that provide precursor chemicals to Mexico."
Read the cited article here > ([link removed])
** Our Trending Topics
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JUAN ORLANDO HERNÁNDEZ ([link removed])
COLOMBIA ([link removed])
RED COMMAND ([link removed].)
HOMICIDES ([link removed])
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