The last time InSight Crime held an in-person conference was March 5, in Argentina. The topic: the PCC, the Southern Cone’s premier criminal group. 

Weekly InSight
December 18, 2020
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The last time InSight Crime held an in-person conference was March 5, in Argentina. The topic: the PCC, the Southern Cone’s premier criminal group. So as 2020 draws to a close, it was fitting that we published the results of that two-year investigation into the Brazilian prison gang, which was conducted with American University’s the Center for Latin American and Latino Studies (CLALS ([link removed]) ). As part of that research, InSight Crime highlights five case studies this week, all drawn from the 60-page report ([link removed]) , the first regional examination of the PCC.

In other news from around the region, El Salvador’s police chief is accused of protecting officials close to the president; gang wars in Ecuador’s prisons have left a trail of blood this year; and Mexico’s legislature passes a law that threatens to rein in US DEA agents’ activities in the country.


** Featured
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** PCC: A Prison from Which There Is No Escape ([link removed])
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It was a Tuesday night, January 14, 2020, after “free time” when prison authorities found his body. Geraldo de Souza Pereira Neto, alias “Japonés” (Japanese), was hanging from the rafters of cell number 47 in cellblock 2 of the state prison in Dourados, a city in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul in western Brazil.

Souza was a leader of the First Capital Command (Primeiro Comando da Capital – PCC), Brazil’s premier prison gang. Media reports said he wanted to leave the PCC. This is possible, but it can be difficult, especially for a leader of Souza’s stature.

See the entire investigation > ([link removed])


** NewsAnalysis
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All News ([link removed]) >
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** Proxy Gang Wars Fuel Record Homicides in Ecuador’s Prisons ([link removed])
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An ongoing gang war in Ecuador’s prisons has made 2020 the bloodiest year on record for inmates, underscoring how the...

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** Charges Point to El Salvador Police Chief’s History of Obstructing Justice ([link removed])
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As El Salvador’s government battles widespread allegations of cronyism and misuse of funds...

Major Oil Trader Fined for Bribes Across Latin America ([link removed])
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Venezuela’s Prison Bosses Become Trusted Supplier of Basic Needs ([link removed])
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Using Open Source Data to Combat Corruption in Paraguay ([link removed])


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

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** Tren de Aragua ([link removed])
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The Tren de Aragua is Venezuela’s most powerful local “megabanda,” or large criminal gangs with more than...
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** PCC ([link removed])
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The First Capital Command (Primeiro Comando da Capital – PCC) was inspired by the Red Command (Comando...


** Media Mentions
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About Us ([link removed])
DECEMBER 15, 2020
OCCRP ([link removed])

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"The flights likely came from San Felipe, in northwest Venezuelan state of Zulia, where there are so many traffickers that locals call their town “Sinaloa,” according to InSight Crime."
Read the Article > ([link removed])


** Impact
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What We do ([link removed])


** Coming Next Week
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It should come as news to no one that the ongoing coronavirus outbreak was this year’s biggest story. Next week, our 2020 Criminal GameChangers series launches with a look at the many ways the pandemic forced crime groups to adapt as well as provided them with fresh opportunities. Subsequent reports highlight how border shutdowns and mobility restrictions forced drug traffickers to the skies and turned a range of products -- medicine, water, oil, food -- into lucrative contraband. We explore the three factors that decided whether a crime group survived or thrived in the pandemic, and we look at how US President-elect Joe Biden promises a return to past approaches when it comes to combatting corruption and drug trafficking in the Americas. And once again, we give our criminal winner: This year it’s Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua, the country’s most powerful “megabanda.” Finally, the series wraps up with a look to the future, with an overview of five criminal consequences brought on by COVID-19.
Read past GameChanger reports > ([link removed])

As this will be our last newsletter until the New Year, we want to thank you, our readers and supporters. It has been a hard year for all, and while we still have difficult times ahead, we look forward to vaccines becoming widely available in the future. Their availability will give us health and hasten our return to the field, where we do some of our finest work.


** Our Trending Topics
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PCC ([link removed])
COVID-19 and OC ([link removed])
VENEZUELA ([link removed])
BRAZIL ([link removed])

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