Weekly InSight | Covering Environmental Crime On All Fronts

Weekly InSight

September 25, 2020

This week, InSight Crime goes inside the trafficking of jaguar body parts, a trade that starts deep in Suriname’s jungle interior and ends in China, where products from big cats are prized. Also on the environmental crime front, our recently published investigation into Latin America’s illicit timber trade continues to generate impact.

In other news, El Salvador is rocked by a report that ties President Nayib Bukele and his inner circle to a massive money laundering scheme involving Venezuela’s state oil company. US President Donald Trump rails at Mexico for not doing enough to dismantle drug cartels. And finally, we examine the renewed prominence of the EPP rebel group in Paraguay, while cells of the ex-FARC mafia in Colombia take on new names.

Featured

Suriname’s Jaguar Trade: From Poaching to Paste

The jaguar’s head slumps over the back of an all-terrain vehicle. A lifeless paw outstretched above a large muddied tire provides a glimpse of its former mass and power.

A young woman stands behind the body of the dead cat, which is tied to the back of the four-wheeler. She smiles and makes a peace sign for the camera.

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NewsAnalysis

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El Salvador’s President Bukele Linked to Venezuelan Money Laundering Scheme: Report

Public officials and private individuals close to the president...

US Demands Mexico Double Down on Hardline Anti-Drug Approach

The United States is calling for authorities in Mexico to intensify their crackdown on organized crime groups, doubling...

New Names, Old Tricks for ex-FARC Mafia in Colombia’s Putumayo

Paraguay’s EPP Seemingly Transformed Under New Leadership

Illicit Alcohol Market Drives Another Epidemic in Mexico

Why Traffickers Use Politicians, Celebrities to Brand Drugs

Criminal Actors

Profiles of some of the notable criminal personalities and groups that have marked this week.

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Red Command

The Red Command (Comando Vermelho) is Brazil’s oldest criminal group, created in a Rio de Janeiro prison...

Ex-FARC Mafia

The ex-FARC Mafia are a series of criminal structures that emerged during the peace negotiations between the...

Media Mentions

About Us

SEPTEMBER 19, 2020
INSIDE EDITION

"I think when people think about the MS-13 they do need to consider that it is a very serious danger and a serious risk. Mostly though, it is a very serious danger and serious risk to the Latino population, where these gangs are mostly coming from. And that is true whether we're talking about Los Angeles, Houston, Long Island, and then down through Central America."

Read the interview with Co-director Steven Dudley >

Impact

What We do

Combatting Environmental Crime in Biodiverse
Rich Regions

InSight Crime’s two-year investigation tracking Latin America’s illicit timber trade was widely read and cited by English and Spanish-language media, as well as civil society organizations. In conjunction with American University's Center for Latin American and Latino Studies (CLALS), the project mapped how criminal interests combined to decimate the region’s forests.

InSight Crime has also launched two projects tracking the interrelated criminal activities and networks driving environmental crime in the region. With the World Wildlife Fund, we are investigating how illegal mining, illegal logging, land grabs and wildlife trafficking fuel deforestation in Colombia. Investigators have already completed the first phase, developing risk mapping and criminal analysis methodologies.

Meanwhile, working with the Igarapé Institute, a Brazilian think tank, we will be tracking environmental crime across the Amazon. The investigation will create a live digital map of incidents – using remote sensors and field visits – and will shine a light not just on shady criminal actors but also the corrupt officials who facilitate the business.

Read our latest environmental crime coverage >