Anti-Mining ‘Crackdown’ Shifts Ops Elsewhere in Venezuela
Despite repeated and widely publicized government operations against illegal mining in Venezuela’s Amazonas state, the criminal networks and corrupt actors…
A Golden Opportunity: Maduro and Venezuelan Miners Target Essequibo
Just after 5 p.m. on May 13, 2025, shots rang out along the Cuyuní River, as troops from the Guyana…
Crime Limits Growth in Latin America, Says World Bank
A report from the World Bank brings a renewed focus to the impact of organized crime on economic development in…
InSight Crime’s 2024 Cocaine Seizure Round-Up
Despite record cocaine seizures in production and transit countries, huge quantities of the drug arrived in consumer markets in 2024.…
What’s Behind the Arrests of Mayors in Venezuela?
The arrests of seven mayors in Venezuela show how President Nicolás Maduro’s government has weaponized the supposed fight against organized…
Comuneros del Sur Disarming Marks Small Win for Colombia’s Total Peace
The demobilization of a dissident faction of the ELN is a symbolic step forward for Colombia’s Total Peace policy, which…
Communeros del Sur Disarming Marks Small Win for Colombia’s Total Peace
The demobilization of a dissident faction of the ELN is a symbolic step forward for Colombia’s Total Peace policy, which…
The Endless Battle for Bajo Cauca: Colombia’s Criminal Crown Jewel
Near the banks of the Nechí River—one of the main hubs of illegal gold mining in northern Colombia—Javier*, a community…
How Forced Migration Strengthened Organized Crime in Venezuela
A new report from the World Bank has found that the forced displacement of millions of Venezuelans has helped consolidate…
Major Criminal Powers Dispute Key Corridors in Colombia
The balance of power in Colombia’s criminal underworld is in flux, as turbulent shakeups see major criminal players competing for…