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InSight Crime and the Center for Latin American & Latino Studies at American University (CLALS) will hold an online and in-person conference to discuss findings from our joint investigation on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing (IUU) fishing across nine nations of South America and the Caribbean.
The event is free to enter and takes place Friday, September 9, at 1 p.m. EST in the Butler Pavilion Board Room at American University’s campus in Washington, DC. Advance registration is required to attend in-person.
Register here >
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This week, InSight Crime charts the long history of cocaine. We begin with the use of coca in beverages and the subsequent expansion of coca leaf cultivation by European imperial powers, before examining its widespread use in the pharmaceutical industry and its later notoriety as an illicit substance upon which violent criminal empires have been founded.
We also review the emergence of the so-called First Uruguayan Cartel, which is led by Sebastián Marset, a shadowy figure of whom little is known. Marset reportedly has several murders to his name, is wanted by Interpol, and has alleged links to Uruguayan government officials.
And in Mexico, we tease out the potential consequences of the recent announcement that 150 municipal police in Guanajuato, one of the country’s bloodiest states, are in the pocket of the Jalisco Cartel. Is this mass corruption fueled by money or by fear?
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The cocaine trade is one of the world’s biggest illicit economies. Since it was outlawed in the mid-twentieth century, this white hydrochloride salt has become the crown commodity of global organized crime.
Illegality has supercharged the drug's profitability, wrapping cocaine’s supply lines in corruption and violence. From producer countries like Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia to consumer markets around the world, the drug crystallizes both power and peril.
Read about the history of cocaine >
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For many Latin American countries, dealing with a sophisticated drug trafficking group with...
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An investigation in Guanajuato, Mexico, has rooted out around 150 police officers with suspected cartel ties, potentially exacerbating...
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A high proportion of cocaine samples in Australia have been found to contain no trace of the drug, suggesting that supply from Latin...
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Cheap coca leaves and cocaine paste from Peru are flooding into neighboring Bolivia due to a longstanding price imbalance...
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InSight Crime Sharpens Its Skills
Last week, the InSight Crime team gathered for our annual retreat in Colombia, where we discussed our vision and strategy for the next 12 months.
During the week, we also learned how to administer life-saving medical aid in situations of extreme danger, including stopping bleeding from wounds caused by gunshots and explosions, treating severe burns, and evacuating injured colleagues from high-risk situations. We combined that hostile environments training with workshops on long-form writing, investigatory research, and techniques for interviewing sources.
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Coming Soon: Cocaine and Corruption in the Dominican Republic
Next week, InSight Crime will be publishing a three-part investigative series on cocaine and corruption in the Dominican Republic. The series delves into the country’s role as a trafficking hub between South America, North America, and Europe, and investigates efforts to root out entrenched corruption that appears to plague the police force and judicial system.
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Profiles of some of the notable criminal personalities and groups that have marked this week.
Browse by country > |
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The National Liberation Army (Ejército de Liberación Nacional - ELN) is one of the two main guerrilla armies with...
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The Jalisco Cartel New Generation (Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación - CJNG) is a criminal group that has evolved as...
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"Another interesting study by InSight Crime highlights that the Chinese fleet represents a serious and permanent threat to Argentina's sovereignty, economy, and biodiversity."
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