Weekly InSight
This week, InSight Crime published an investigation on the illegal logging of precious wood on the Mexico-Guatemala border, where loggers are ravaging the Mayan Jungle to meet the demand of Asian markets. The investigation features extensive video footage of our investigators in the jungle as they explored the true extent of the environmental damage in the area. 

In Brazil, we preview the leading candidates in this weekend’s presidential election, looking at their likely response to organized crime in the region's biggest country, home to some of the most powerful criminal syndicates in the Western Hemisphere. 

Finally, we look ahead to next week’s investigation on how Colombia’s rebel groups have migrated to Venezuela. The investigation was five years in the making and led us to the controversial conclusion that Colombian rebel groups should now be considered ‘binational’ Colombo-Venezuelan guerrillas. We would like to invite you to join us for a panel discussion on Monday, October 3, at 10:00 (COT)/(11 a.m. EST).  

Latest Investigation

The Jungle Patrol: Fighting Illegal Loggers on the Guatemala-Mexico Border

Deep in the jungles of Petén, a department in the extreme north of Guatemala, a group of elite park rangers and military officials were waiting in silence, chest-down on an anthill.   

They were hiding in order to ambush a group of illegal loggers seeking a much sought-after but protected type of wood known as granadillo. Its robustness and elegance make it a popular choice for furniture, yachts, and musical instruments, despite a ban on exporting the endangered species. 

Read the investigation >
A journey deep into the jungle reveals how a shadowy timber mafia with ties to Asia is illegally extracting precious wood on the Guatemala-Mexico border.

Featured

Bolsonaro vs. Lula - Dueling Visions of Crime, Security, and the Amazon in Brazil

Brazil is going to the polls on October 2 in an election that offers two diametrically opposed visions for how the region’s biggest country should tackle organized crime.

The crusading and controversial President Jair Bolsonaro is facing an uphill challenge. The destruction of the Amazon is at its highest peak in decades, with appalling consequences for the planet. Security forces are riding high, with salary and budget hikes, and a lack of consequences for abuses and killings. Miners, cattle ranchers, and large landowners have enjoyed preferential treatment...

Read the analysis >

NewsAnalysis

Record Fentanyl Seizures and Migrant Encounters on US-Mexico Border Are Unrelated


Migrant encounters and seizures of the deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl will hit record highs... 

Latin American Leaders Voice Security Concerns At United Nations General Assembly


As world leaders met in New York City for the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly...
How Peru's Coca Production is Helping the Global Cocaine Boom
France Dealing with Influx of Cocaine from Caribbean Territories

Event

The Colombo-Venezuelan Guerrillas

 
Next Monday, October 3, at 10:00 a.m. Colombian time, InSight Crime will hold a virtual panel discussion, featuring our co-director Jeremy McDermott and María Victoria Llorente, Luis Trejos, and Javier Mayorca, where we will take a look at the findings of our most recent investigation: “The Colombo-Venezuelan Guerrillas: How Colombia’s War Migrated to Venezuela.”

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

Browse by country >

Shining Path

The Shining Path or the Militarized Communist Party of Peru (Militarizado Partido Comunista de Peru - MPCP)...

Tren de Aragua

The Tren de Aragua is Venezuela’s most powerful, homegrown criminal actor. Its headquarters are in the Tocorón prison ...

Media Mentions
SEPTEMBER 29, 2022
GLOBAL WITNESS
"Many authorities either turn a blind eye or actively impede investigations into these killings [of defenders], which can be due to collusion between corporate and state interests – one of the root causes of violence against defenders."
Erratum: Yesterday, we mistakenly included the name of the Igarapé Institute in an email promoting our latest investigation: “The Jungle Patrol: Fighting Illegal Loggers on the Guatemala-Mexico Border.” While we have collaborated with the Institute for other projects, this investigation was not a collaborative effort. The rights are exclusive to InSight Crime.

Our Trending Topics 
PERU
COCAINE
ENVIRONMENTAL CRIME
BRAZIL
We go into the field to interview, report and investigate. We then verify, write and edit, providing the tools to generate real impact in fighting organized crime.
SUPPORT OUR WORK
DONATE TODAY
Facebook InSight Crime
Twitter InSight Crime
LinkedIn InSight Crime
 


InSight Crime is sponsored by:
American University
Open Society Foundations
The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency

Copyright © 2021 InSight Crime, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you have signed up to receive InSight Crime's top weekly content.
unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences 






This email was sent to [email protected]
why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences
InSight Crime · Medellin · Medellin 0000 · Colombia