CHAPTER 2

Crime Cashes in on Migration Boom

InSight Crime investigators traveled to the US-Mexico border, the Darien Gap separating Colombia and Panama, and South America in 2024. One thing became clear: organized crime has taken control of the migrant economy. Criminal groups now systematically smuggle, kidnap and extort migrants while also driving them to leave their homes in the first place.

Last year, migrant smuggling evolved from tertiary criminal economy to a major source of income for some of the region's most powerful criminal groups.

This is the second installment of our annual Criminal GameChangers 2024 series. Over the following weeks, we will publish essays providing our unique expert analysis of the most important dynamics of 2024, and our predictions of challenges ahead in 2025.

🎙️ Don’t miss our donor - exclusive event

To conclude the publication of the series, and as part of our annual fundraising campaign, we invite you to attend a virtual panel in English, where we will talk with some of our most experienced investigators about the most important findings from their fieldwork, as well as challenges and predictions about security and crime in 2025.

Forthcoming publications

1 - Resistance to Organized Crime Withers

2 - Crime Cashes in on Migration Boom

3 - Ecuador Finds Victory Elusive in ‘War on Gangs’ - Dec 27

4 - Organized Crime Gets Political - Dec 30

5 - Networks Replace Cartels in Cocaine Trade - Jan 02

6 - Narco Money Scandals Reach the Apex of Political Power in the Americas - Jan 03

7 - Global Cocaine Networks and Trump 2 - Jan 06

Regards, 
The InSight Crime Team