The Tancol: Venezuela’s Phantom Enemy
In Venezuela, the government is literally fighting a ghost. In mid-2021, a mysterious new criminal actor appeared in Venezuela. It…
How Grenades Became a Common Part of Venezuela’s Criminal Arsenal
Grenades like those usually seen on battlefields have become common weapons in Venezuela’s underworld, where criminal groups regularly use them…
DataInSights: The Rise and Fall of Ransom Kidnappings in Argentina
Ransom kidnapping in Argentina reached an all-time low of only four cases in the first quarter of 2023, the culmination…
La Pista: Venezuelans Find Refuge in Colombian Desert
Maria leans on a wooden plank outside her shelter — a collection of corrugated metal, errant bricks, and plastic tarps…
Europe’s Weakest Border? Smuggling Between Suriname and French Guiana
Stuart Codrington favors the direct approach. Within five minutes of our interview starting, the Surinamese border control officer grabs his…
Venezuela’s New Asset Forfeiture Law Unlikely to End Corruption
Venezuela’s National Assembly has passed an asset forfeiture law aimed at strengthening the fight against corruption. But in the hands…
5 Takeaways From US Indictments of Chapitos, Associates
US prosecutors have taken aim at one of Mexico’s most powerful drug trafficking enterprises, the Chapitos, in a series of…
Inside the Evaporating Black Market for Gasoline in Zulia, Venezuela
The black market for gasoline is quickly disappearing in Venezuela’s oil-rich state of Zulia as changing government policies and supply…
Will Designating Mexican Crime Groups as Terrorists Help Fight Them?
US officials are considering designating Mexican drug trafficking organizations as terrorist groups, but labeling criminals as terrorists would mischaracterize the…
Venezuela Becomes Colombia’s ‘Creepy’ Marijuana Drug Corridor
Seizures of marijuana shipments on Venezuela’s coast and along its border with Colombia have underscored the country’s role as an…