Ecuador’s Prison Business
The moment a person enters Ecuador’s prison system, they become a resource to be exploited by organized crime and corrupt…
Ecuador Profile
Ecuador is one of the region’s most significant drug trafficking hubs, used to dispatch Colombian and Peruvian cocaine to Europe,…
Massacres Surge as Gangs Atomize in Ecuador
A recent series of massacres in Ecuador is further evidence that more access to high-powered weapons, heightened impunity, and an…
The Rise and Fall of El Negro Willy, Ecuador’s Prison-Guard Mafia Boss
The first sign that armed gang members had invaded a TV station in Guayaquil came when two masked youths appeared…
Jailhouse Massacre in Ecuador Illustrates Rapid Criminal Evolution
A recent massacre inside Ecuador’s largest and most violent prison is an ominous sign that the country’s multiple criminal organizations…
Will Costa Rica Follow the Same Criminal Path as Ecuador?
High levels of violence indicate how once-peaceful Costa Rica is feeling the tightening grip of cocaine trafficking. But is the…
Tiguerones
Within just a few years, the Tiguerones have risen from obscurity to a position as one of Ecuador’s most dangerous…
Arrest of Leaders of Ecuador’s Tiguerones Could Further Fracture Gang
The leader of the Tiguerones, one of Ecuador’s most powerful and violent criminal groups and an important link in the…
Ecuador Is Coca Producer Country, Says President Noboa
Ecuador’s president announced unprecedented coca cultivation figures this week, highlighting the country’s role as a fledgling cocaine producer, though uncertainty…
Why Do Latin American Governments Keep Betting on States of Emergency?
Several Latin American countries have recently declared or prolonged states of emergency aimed at combating organized crime, even though the…