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This week, InSight Crime delves into the resurgence of landmines in key conflict zones across Colombia. The increase in demining efforts, landmine seizures, and suspected minefields reported by Colombian authorities in 2024 underscores that, despite the historic decline in landmine use since a 2016 peace agreement, criminal groups in the country continue to deploy these devices in their territorial disputes.
Additionally, we examine the arrest of a Mexican methamphetamine manufacturer in Brazil and the potential expansion of this market to other countries in the region. We analyze how criminal groups are still exploiting institutional weaknesses in Honduras to funnel illicit money into electoral campaigns. And we explore how the alleged involvement of the Venezuelan government in a kidnapping and murder in Chile could redefine its relationship with the transnational criminal organization Tren de Aragua. |
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After a promising decline in landmine incidents, Colombia is once again facing a surge in these explosive devices.
This grim reality was made evident in late January when the army seized more than 2,600 improvised explosive devices (IEDs), including landmines belonging to the National Liberation Army (Ejército de Liberación Nacional – ELN) in Tibú, in the Catatumbo region. Just days earlier, authorities had confiscated 300 landmines in the same area from FARC dissidents. Roads, rural paths, and farms in the region have become impassable.
Read the article > See more of our Colombia coverage > |
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| | The arrest of a chemical engineer, a wannabe “Brazilian Walter White” like the fictional character from the television series Breaking Bad … |
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| | Anti-corruption advocates in Honduras have again raised concerns about the threat of illicit campaign financing ahead … |
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| What a Murder in Chile Reveals About Maduro’s Relationship With Tren de Aragua |
| The Venezuelan government’s relationship with Tren de Aragua has come under scrutiny after allegations its interior minister…
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Upcoming Podcast | The Shadow of El Dorado: Unearthing Colombia’s Blood Gold |
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Next week, InSight Crime will launch its first-ever investigative podcast series: The Shadow of El Dorado: Unearthing Colombia’s Blood Gold. Over the course of seven episodes, we uncover the mysterious story behind the fall of Segovia, a once-thriving mining town in Colombia that has become a criminal stronghold. As we dive into this hidden history, we reveal how not only gangsters and warlords but also politicians and business elites have corrupted the gold supply chain—one that ultimately reaches us, the global consumers—with conflict, crime, and exploitation.
The first two episodes will be available on our website and on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and YouTube starting February 20. |
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On February 12, InSight Crime was nominated for the IV Global Ondas Podcast Awards, organized by PRISA Audio, Cadena SER, and El País, in the category of Best Podcast in a Foreign Language.
The nomination recognizes “Episode 2: Daughter of Coca,” from the From the Ground Up podcast series, which chronicles the life of a farmer and coca cultivator in Putumayo, Colombia. Through her testimony, we explore the evolution of organized crime in the southern region of the country and how, despite promises of peace, coca remains the driving force shaping the fate of an entire territory.
Listen to the English episode of Daughter of Coca > Explore the full From the Ground Up series > |
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Criminal Profile of the Week: “Chapo” Isidro |
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Last week, Fausto Isidro Meza Flores, alias “Chapo Isidro,” was added to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list. The agency is now offering a $5 million reward for information leading to his capture.
With a criminal career dating back to the 1990s, Chapo Isidro is accused of leading the Meza Flores Organization, also known as the Guasave Cartel. He is considered one of the key figures responsible for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana into the United States. |
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| "Once one of Latin America’s safest countries, Ecuador has seen a surge in violence since its ports turned into what InSight Crime has called a “cocaine superhighway” to the U.S. and Europe. Homicides initially dropped when Noboa launched his “war on drugs,” but rates quickly returned to alarming levels, making 2024 the second most violent year."
Read the cited investigation > |
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Trending: Ecuador Heads to a Runoff in a Presidential Election Defined by Crime and Corruption |
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After a peaceful first round of voting, a polarized Ecuador will choose its next president on April 13 in a runoff between incumbent Daniel Noboa, of the National Democratic Action party (Acción Democrática Nacional – ADN), and Luisa González, of the Citizen Revolution party (Revolución Ciudadana – RC), who ended up in a technical tie.
With a public desperate for security, both candidates have voiced support for tough-on-crime policies. However, their proposals remain more rhetoric than substance. Could this be the moment for a deeper debate on security policies? |
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