This week, InSight Crime published 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 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 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 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 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 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.
