Weekly InSight
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

Mafia to Terrorists: How US Prosecutors Have Bent the Law to Fight MS13

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, 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 >

See Also: 6 Reasons Why the US Charged MS13 Leaders with Terrorism

NewsAnalysis

No Time to Wait: Biden’s Security Challenges in Central America


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... 

3 Unexplored Criminal Challenges Awaiting President Joe Biden


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
Liquid Gold – False COVID-19 Vaccines Emerge in Latin America
MS13 Prison Releases Reinforce Potential Pact with El Salvador
New Criminal Alliance Fending Off ELN at Colombia-Venezuela Border
Pandemic Aid Money Fuels Brazil’s Bank Robberies
Human Smuggling Thrives Between Costa Rica and Nicaragua
Mexico Clears Ex-Defense Minister, Accuses US of ‘Fabricating’ Drug Charges

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

Browse by country >

MS13

The Mara Salvatrucha, or MS13, is perhaps the most notorious street gang in the Western Hemisphere. While it has its...

ELN

The National Liberation Army (Ejército de Liberación Nacional – ELN) is one of the two main guerrilla armies...

Media Mentions
JANUARY 17, 2021
CGTN-AMERICA



 
"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 >
 

Impact

Organized Crime Intersects at the Border 

 
Two years ago, InSight Crime embarked on an ambitious project to investigate cross-border criminal dynamics in the Southern Cone’s Tri-Border Area -- where Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil converge -- and in the Northern Triangle countries of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. 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 

 
InSight Crime’s investigation 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 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, presented by Colombia’s acclaimed Gabo Foundation, an institution created by Nobel Prize-winning novelist Gabriel García Márquez to promote independent, investigative journalism in the Americas. 

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InSight Crime · Medellin · Medellin 0000 · Colombia