This week, InSight Crime reports from Ecuador, where the government continues its war against domestic drug trafficking gangs. We examine the foreign criminal groups operating in the country and outline their role in drug trafficking and in perpetuating Ecuador’s ongoing conflict.
In the Netherlands, a pioneering cocaine trafficker, Ridouan Taghi, has been sentenced to life in jail. We analyze his criminal past and explain why the six-year trial that led to his conviction is unlikely to change the Netherlands’ entrenched position as a key cocaine hub.
In Mexico, avocados and organized crime have long gone hand in hand. InSight Crime interviewed the author of a new report to learn more about what draws criminal groups to the trade and how the interests of criminal actors and investors can often align.
In Haiti, gangs attacked two prisons in the capital, Port-au-Prince, freeing thousands of prisoners. The attacks were a response to Prime Minister Ariel Henry signing a security agreement that could see a deployment of up to 1,000 Kenyan police on Haitian streets.
And a new Netflix series, Griselda, has topped TV charts with its portrayal of Griselda Blanco, a notorious Colombian drug trafficker. But does the series manage to move beyond some of the previous problematic gender stereotypes that have plagued previous narco-dramas? (Spoiler: it does not!)
This and more below.
