Weekly InSight
March 17, 2023 ([link removed])

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This week, InSight Crime traveled to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, where the Northeast Cartel controls ([link removed]) the border city’s various criminal economies, including migrant smuggling. While a nervous peace pervades, past conflicts between criminal groups and security forces haunt its residents.

In Mexico, the kidnapping and murder of American citizens prompted ([link removed]) a rare apology from Mexican criminal organizations. The Gulf Cartel’s apology, and delivery of those responsible, reflects the realization that taking on the United States is bad for business.

This week we also explore how coca crops are taking root ([link removed]) in Central America, suggesting that cocaine production could expand beyond the current Andean strongholds into other parts of the region. As cocaine production increases, so does the diversification of markets, and we explore how Australia and New Zealand are becoming the most sought after destinations ([link removed]) for traffickers.

In Argentina, one of the most powerful criminal syndicates is fracturing ([link removed]) . More violence in the city of Rosario, already the most violent urban center in the country, is expected as a result.


** Featured
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** The Northeast Cartel and Criminal Hegemony in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico ([link removed])
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The pastor had just arrived at the shelter with sweetbread when the messages started. As he walked past migrants receiving haircuts and others waiting for services, his phone began to ring.

The pastor stepped outside. A punishing midday sun glistened on his forehead. He opened his phone, tapped on its screen, then pressed it to his ear. As he listened to the messages, he sighed.

Read the analysis > ([link removed])


** NewsAnalysis
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All News ([link removed]) >
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** Mexico's Gulf Cartel Doing Damage Control After Kidnapping, Murdering US Citizens ([link removed])
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A faction of one of Mexico's older organized crime groups is doing damage control with a cheap...

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** Coca May Have Permanently Taken Root in Central America ([link removed])
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Honduran and Guatemalan authorities are eradicating record amounts of coca plants, further evidence of the coca's expansion beyond the traditional coca...

Cocaine Prices in Australia, New Zealand: Worth the Trek for Traffickers ([link removed])
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New Strategies in Rosario, Argentina, as Monos Fight ([link removed])
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Haiti's Notorious Gang Leader, Vitel'Homme Innocent, Named in Presidential Killing ([link removed])
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Jamaica Success in Gang Case but Violence Continues ([link removed])


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


** InSight Crime Team Appears on TV Throughout the Region
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Co-director Jeremy McDermott spoke with Luciana Vásquez of La Nación ([link removed]) in Argentina about the country’s emerging role in the transnational drug trade, as well as the shortcomings of repressive law enforcement approaches to organized crime.

Read our coverage of Argentina > ([link removed])

In Mexico, Victoria Dittmar talked to El Financiero ([link removed]) about fentanyl production in the country, highlighting how the extent of fentanyl production is still unclear.

Read our coverage of fentanyl > ([link removed])

Douwe den Held spoke with regional news source NTN24 about the findings from InSight Crime’s Cocaine Seizure Round-Up 2022.

Read the Cocaine Seizure Round-Up > ([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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** Gulf Cartel ([link removed])
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The Gulf Cartel is one of the oldest and most powerful of Mexico’s criminal groups but has lost territory and influence in recent...
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** Monos ([link removed])
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The criminal group known as the Monos, led by members of the Cantero family, has been operating for more than 20 years...


** Media Mentions
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About Us ([link removed])
MARCH 14, 2023
JAMAICA OBSERVER ([link removed])

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"He also pointed to the fact that in 2020, there were 1,323 murders on the island, making it, according to InSight Crime's 2020 Homicide Report, ‘the most violent country in Latin America and the Caribbean region with the highest homicide rate of 46.5 per 100,000 people.'"
Read InSight Crime's 2022 Homicide Round-Up > ([link removed])


** Our Trending Topics
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