This week, InSight Crime digs into coltan, a valuable mineral used in electronics that is feeding criminality on both sides of the...
Weekly InSight
August 20, 2021 ([link removed])
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This week, InSight Crime digs into coltan, a valuable mineral used in electronics that is feeding criminality on both sides of the Venezuela-Colombia border. Coltan, also known as “blue gold,” is mined illegally in Venezuela and smuggled by Colombian armed groups. We also report on emissaries of Balkan mafias moving into South America and Spain to control the cocaine trafficking chain to Europe, a development that dovetails with our investigation into the European cocaine pipeline, which now rivals that of the United States. Other notable articles from the region this week include a look at the capture of a Brazil gang leader in Paraguay who coordinated support from the First Capital Command (Primeiro Comando da Capital - PCC); a report on a rising number of human trafficking victims in Mexico amid the pandemic; and a video in which a pair of Venezuelan prison gang bosses chant their endorsement of ruling party candidates ahead of elections.
** Featured
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** The Scale of Illegal Coltan Trafficking in Colombia and Venezuela ([link removed])
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Seizures of coltan in Colombia have shown the complex networks used by armed groups to smuggle the valuable mineral from illegal mines across the border in Venezuela.
Prosecutors announced ([link removed]) on August 15 the seizure of 1.5 tons of coltan after police discovered ore in a cargo truck in the eastern department of Guainía, according to EFE.
Coltan, also known as "blue gold," ([link removed]) is rich in tantalum, a metal used in electronics, including cellphones and laptops. The seizure was the second this year in Guainía, a jungle region that borders Venezuela and Brazil.
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** NewsAnalysis
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** Balkan Gangs Supervise Cocaine Trade from Colombia and Across Europe ([link removed])
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A cell within a notorious Montenegrin cocaine trafficking group has been dismantled on...
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** How Human Trafficking Worsened in Mexico During COVID-19 ([link removed])
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The number of human trafficking victims in Mexico is growing, as traffickers target vulnerable people hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Brazil Cattle Linked to Accused Drug Trafficker Sold to Major Companies ([link removed])
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US Coast Guard Makes Record Drug Haul in Pacific, Caribbean ([link removed])
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PCC and Anti-Bala Criminal Alliance Under Threat in Southern Brazil ([link removed])
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Fake Face Masks Add to COVID-19 Dangers in Argentina ([link removed])
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In Venezuela, Prison Gang Chants Support for Politicians ([link removed])
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Urabeños vs. Pachenca - The Fight for Colombia's Port of Santa Marta ([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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** Jimmy Chérizier ([link removed])
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Former police officer Jimmy Chérizier, alias "Barbecue," is one of Haiti’s most important gang leaders...
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** G9 and Family ([link removed])
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The “G9 and Family” (G9 an fanmi – G9) is a criminal federation of nine of the strongest gangs in Haiti’s capital of Port-au-Prince...
** Media Mentions
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About Us ([link removed])
AUGUST 17, 2021
OCCRP ([link removed])
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"Its placement near countries known for cocaine production such as Peru and Bolivia, combined with strong trade ties throughout Europe, means that Argentina has become an attractive vector from which to traffic and launch Andean drugs into international markets, according to InSight Crime."
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** Impact
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What We do ([link removed])
** InSight Crime’s Investigations on Illegal Gold to Reach US Lawmakers
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InSight Crime is a go-to resource for not only news outlets but decisionmakers in governments. On August 9, María Fernanda Ramírez, one of our experts on environmental crime, briefed a Congressional Research Service (CRS) ([link removed]) investigator on illegal gold mining in Colombia. The CRS – a resource on Capitol Hill for more than a century – provides impartial research and analysis to House and Senate members. Informed by InSight Crime’s on-the-ground fieldwork, Ramírez spoke on the illicit gold supply chain, the actors involved in illegal mining, and how the gold trade has created national security challenges for the Colombian government. The information shared will be part of a report to Congress on the role the US can play in addressing Latin America’s illegal gold markets.
Read our latest coverage of environmental crime > ([link removed])
** Insight Crime Investigator Discusses Security of Female Journalists
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Some two-thirds of InSight Crime’s staff are women, and many of them take on field work in some of Latin America’s most insecure regions. For this reason, InSight Crime investigator Laura N. Ávila recently took part in a seminar – held by our partners at the United Nations-mandated University for Peace ([link removed]) in Costa Rica – on how to bolster the security of female journalists. About two dozen women from a range of organizations attended the training, which provided tools in digital security and explored recent attacks on reporters in Central America.
Read our latest coverage of gender and organized crime > ([link removed])
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