This week, the world welcomed Joe Biden as US president, and we looked at security challenges facing his administration in Central America...

Weekly InSight
January 22, 2021 ([link removed])

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This week, the world welcomed Joe Biden as US president, and we looked at security challenges facing his administration in Central America -- a region he has declared a priority. We also highlight three unexplored criminal threats in Latin America and the Caribbean. Meanwhile, InSight Crime Co-director Steven Dudley provided in-depth legal analysis on how US prosecutors bent the law to charge the MS13’s top leaders in El Salvador with terrorism, opening a new -- but controversial -- avenue for fighting international gangs. Other reports included the surge in COVID-19 vaccine scams; the unusual circumstances behind a healthy MS13 leader jailed in El Salvador being transferred to a hospital; and the new criminal alliance being forged at the Colombia-Venezuela border.


** Featured
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** Mafia to Terrorists: How US Prosecutors Have Bent the Law to Fight MS13 ([link removed])
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The recent decision by the US government to charge MS13’s top leaders in El Salvador with terrorism is either a sign of how little they understand the gang or a sign of how well they understand their own justice system.

The December 2020 indictment ([link removed]) , which was released on January 14, said 14 leaders of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS13), most of whom are in jail in El Salvador, directed their members to commit murders in the United States, establish training camps in El Salvador, and obtain assault rifles, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and rocket-propelled grenades to commit acts of violence in both places.

Read the Analysis > ([link removed])

See Also: 6 Reasons Why the US Charged MS13 Leaders with Terrorism ([link removed])


** NewsAnalysis
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All News ([link removed]) >
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** No Time to Wait: Biden’s Security Challenges in Central America ([link removed])
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Given the challenges of a deadly pandemic, President Joe Biden could be forgiven for not having Central America’s security at the top of his...

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** 3 Unexplored Criminal Challenges Awaiting President Joe Biden ([link removed])
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President Joe Biden’s policy documents on Latin America tread familiar ground. Fighting corruption in the Northern Triangle...

Trump Leaves Biden Corruption Problem at Mexico Border Wall ([link removed])
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Liquid Gold – False COVID-19 Vaccines Emerge in Latin America ([link removed])
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MS13 Prison Releases Reinforce Potential Pact with El Salvador ([link removed])
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New Criminal Alliance Fending Off ELN at Colombia-Venezuela Border ([link removed])
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Pandemic Aid Money Fuels Brazil’s Bank Robberies ([link removed])
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Human Smuggling Thrives Between Costa Rica and Nicaragua ([link removed])
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Mexico Clears Ex-Defense Minister, Accuses US of ‘Fabricating’ Drug Charges ([link removed])
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** Criminal Actors
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Profiles of some of the notable criminal personalities and groups that have marked this week.

Browse by country > ([link removed])
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** MS13 ([link removed])
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The Mara Salvatrucha, or MS13, is perhaps the most notorious street gang in the Western Hemisphere. While it has its...
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** ELN ([link removed])
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The National Liberation Army (Ejército de Liberación Nacional – ELN) is one of the two main guerrilla armies...


** Media Mentions
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About Us ([link removed])
JANUARY 17, 2021
CGTN-AMERICA ([link removed])

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"Though they may be small in number, their acts have an incredible ripple effect and very often a negative effect, mostly through the Latino communities where they hail from."

—Co-director Steven Dudley on the MS13 in the Unites States

Learn more about Dudley’s book on the notorious street gang > ([link removed])


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


** Organized Crime Intersects at the Border
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Two years ago, InSight Crime embarked on an ambitious project to investigate cross-border criminal dynamics in the Southern Cone’s Tri-Border Area ([link removed]) -- where Argentina ([link removed]) , Paraguay ([link removed]) and Brazil ([link removed]) converge -- and in the Northern Triangle ([link removed]) countries of El Salvador ([link removed]) , Guatemala ([link removed]) and Honduras ([link removed]) . Now, we’re preparing to present the results in a multimedia package that includes a series of online seminars on all six countries. As part of the project, InSight Crime has also created an innovative dashboard allowing users to compare
illicit economies and criminal actors in nearly 40 border departments. In addition, each country is the subject of a long-form case study, based on our extensive research and fieldwork. The project kicks off on February 2nd, with a panel discussion on drug trafficking in Guatemala’s remote, porous border regions.


** Memo Fantasma Named Gabo Awards Finalist
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InSight Crime’s investigation ([link removed]) into “invisible” drug lord “Memo Fantasma” was named one of three finalists in the reporting category of the Gabo Awards, which recognizes excellence in journalism in the Americas. The Gabo’s panel of judges called ([link removed]) the six-part series “a thriller,” which provided a “detailed investigation” into the “complex and dizzying” history of one of the most intriguing characters in the world of Colombian drug trafficking. Each year, hundreds of news organizations submit their best work for consideration in the prestigious Gabo Awards ([link removed]) , presented by
Colombia’s acclaimed Gabo Foundation ([link removed]) , an institution created by Nobel Prize-winning novelist Gabriel García Márquez to promote independent, investigative journalism in the Americas.


** Our Trending Topics
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INVISIBLES ([link removed])
US-MEXICO BORDER ([link removed])
SECURITY POLICY ([link removed])
MS13 ([link removed])

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