InSight Crime investigates the human cost of Ecuador’s crackdown on gangs
** Weekly InSight
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June 14, 2024
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This week, InSight Crime investigates ([link removed]) the human cost of Ecuador’s crackdown on gangs, uncovering torture and abuse inflicted by the armed forces on prisoners as a part of the country’s state of emergency.
We also analyze ([link removed]) the factors limiting Ecuador’s ability to curb gang violence in the strategic city of Durán, examine the data behind the resurgence ([link removed]) of a black market for vehicle parts in São Paulo, explore Venezuela’s struggle to uproot ([link removed]) entrenched gang control structures in its prisons, and highlight the causes behind a drop in fentanyl overdose deaths ([link removed]) in the United States.
This and more below.
** Latest Investigation
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** Prisoner Torture and Abuse Rife in Ecuador’s Gang Crackdown ([link removed])
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When the military entered Latacunga prison in Cotopaxi, Ecuador on the afternoon of January 14, the inmates knew they were coming. The day before, the gang that ran the prison, the Lobos, had released the guards they had taken hostage and word had got around that the soldiers were coming in to clean house.
But no one was prepared for what followed.
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** NewsAnalysis
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** Venezuela’s Prisons Remain Out of Control Despite Government Measures ([link removed])
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Venezuelan authorities declared victory last year after several operations to retake control of prisons in the hands of gang … ([link removed])
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** US Drug Overdose Deaths Are Dropping, and Here’s Why ([link removed])
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When Dennis Cauchon started to notice a sharp drop in drug overdose deaths in the fall of 2023 in the US state of Ohio, he was convinced there was something wrong with the … ([link removed])
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** DataInSights: Chop Shops Make a Comeback in São Paulo ([link removed])
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Vehicle theft is back on the rise in São Paulo following years of decline, as criminal groups exploit supply chain issues to revive a withering black market … ([link removed])
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** Ecuador’s War on Gangs Stumbles in Key Coastal City ([link removed])
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The Ecuadorian government is brandishing the results of its national gang crackdown as a victory, but continuing violence in the city of Durán demonstrates the … ([link removed])
** Impact
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InSight Crime’s expertise on the cocaine trade continues to enrich discussions on the industry throughout global media. The Guardian ([link removed]) utilized InSight Crime’s investigation, The Cocaine Pipeline to Europe ([link removed]) , to depict cocaine trafficking routes to Europe, while the BBC ([link removed]) enlisted the expertise of InSight Crime’s Sergio Saffon to outline the volatile relationship between cocaine’s ever-growing global demand and the local dynamics of coca leaf production in Latin America.
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** This Week's Criminal Profile: MS13
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On June 11, United States authorities captured Cesar Humberto Lopez-Larios, an alleged member of MS13’s National Council (Ranfla Nacional). This is the latest of a string of arrests targeting the gang’s leadership structure on charges of terrorism. MS13 has a transnational presence of loosely organized cells, with its strongest concentration in the Northern Triangle countries of Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala.
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Read our MS13 profile > ([link removed])
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** Multimedia
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“Brazil was first hit by the COVID-19 pandemic in February 2020, when car thefts had bottomed out. Supply chains halted, and imports of cars and parts dropped. New cars became scarce, so the demand for used vehicles shot up – as did prices. With rising demand, the sale of contraband car parts reemerged as a lucrative economy.”
Read the article here > ([link removed])
** Trending Topics
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