InSight Crime published the newest installment of its two-year investigation into the supply chain of precursor chemicals.


** Weekly InSight
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June 7, 2024

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This week, InSight Crime published ([link removed]) the newest installment of its two-year investigation into the supply chain of precursor chemicals used for the production of synthetic drugs in Mexico, exploring the potential of public-private partnerships in regulating the flow of substances.

We also analyzed ([link removed]) the growing prominence of commercial flights in contraband trafficking from Latin America, the wave of political violence that continues to underscore ([link removed]) Mexico’s electoral cycle, the implications ([link removed]) of the murder of a Sinaloa Cartel armed wing leader, and the varied impacts ([link removed]) of organized crime on Colombia’s crop substitution program.

This and more below.


** Latest Investigation
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** In Battle to Slow Precursor Chemicals in Mexico, Public-Private Partnerships Are a Path Not Taken ([link removed])
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It was days before Super Bowl LVI in February 2022, the biggest guacamole day of the year in the United States, when a threatening call came into the government-issued cell phone of a US agricultural safety inspector working in Michoacán, Mexico.

Michoacán is the heart of the $4 billion avocado industry. To facilitate cross-border trade, the US Department of Agriculture sends inspectors like this one that make sure the avocados are not carrying diseases or insects that may hurt US production.

Read the investigation > ([link removed])


** Featured #DataInSights
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** Mexico’s Extreme Election Violence Explained ([link removed])
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Political candidates in criminally strategic states like Chiapas, Guerrero, and Michoacán saw an outburst of violence this election cycle in Mexico, underscoring how organized crime groups and other power brokers try to influence voting to maintain control despite political reconfigurations.

By the time voters elected Claudia Sheinbaum as Mexico’s first female president, election observers recorded 129 political violence events targeting officials during local, state, and federal elections, for which more than 20,000 posts were up for grabs when campaigning started in early September 2023, according to data collected by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED).

Read the article here > ([link removed])

See more coverage from Mexico > ([link removed])


** NewsAnalysis
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All News > ([link removed])
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** State Inertia and Organized Crime Limit Colombia’s Coca Substitution Program ([link removed])
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Changes in the leadership of Colombia’s illicit crop substitution program and problems in its implementation raise questions … ([link removed])
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** Cheyo Anthrax’s Murder Highlights How Few Are Irreplaceable in Mexico’s Underworld ([link removed])
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The recent killing of a key member of the Sinaloa Cartel may spell the end of one of its armed wings, but does little to affect the internal … ([link removed])
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** Data InSights: Latin America Smugglers Opt for Commercial Flights ([link removed])
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Smugglers transporting illicit drugs, arms, and gold are increasingly using commercial and cargo flights to move shipments, according to … ([link removed])


** Impact
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In an interview with Atlas ([link removed]) , the YouTube channel of German public broadcaster ARD, InSight Crime’s Douwe den Held outlined the strategic importance of Suriname ([link removed]) as a launching point for drug trafficking from Latin America to Europe. Den Held highlighted how the country’s geography, along with political corruption, has made Suriname an attractive transit location for organized criminal groups looking to move drugs to Europe.

Watch the video > ([link removed])

See more coverage from Suriname > ([link removed])


** This Week's Criminal Profile: The Choneros ([link removed])
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The Choneros are at the heart of the brutal gang war that has triggered unprecedented levels of violence and insecurity in Ecuador. On May 30, Ecuadorian authorities arrested 23 alleged members of the group, including supposed mid-level lieutenant Adrián Joel Solórzano Asen, alias “Mongolo.” The arrests reflect the continuation of the government’s war on organized crime, but are unlikely to significantly alter the country’s organized criminal landscape.
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Read our Choneros profile > ([link removed])
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Read our Ecuador coverage > ([link removed])


** Multimedia
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June 4, 2024

"For decades, US authorities have tried to curb migration, imposing more and more barriers to entry and on the permanence of migrants in the country. But these policies have had unforeseen consequences along the border between Mexico and the United States."

Watch the video here > ([link removed])


** Trending Topics
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MEXICO ([link removed])
CHAPITOS ([link removed])
EL SALVADOR ([link removed])
JIMMY CHÉRIZIER ([link removed])

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