Firearms, Disappearances, Prison Overcrowding: Brazil’s Problems Are Getting Worse
From overpopulated, crumbling prisons to tens of thousands of disappearances every year, as well as millions of weapons in circulation,…
The Rise and Fall of the Choneros, Ecuador’s Drug Trafficking Opportunists
Jorge Bismarck Véliz España was an ambitious man growing up in Puerto Arturo, a neighborhood in the larger town of…
Crime Groups Drive Pre-Election Violence in Mexico, Brazil: Study
Organized crime groups use violence to manipulate elections in Mexico and Brazil, a new report has revealed. But surprisingly, some…
Massacre in Honduran Women’s Prison: A Tragedy Foretold
The recent murder of dozens of women in Honduras’ only all-female prison took place in a context of growing gang…
DataInSights: Latin America’s Homicide Hotspots
Brutal fights to control lucrative criminal economies have led specific provinces and cities across Latin America to have sky-high homicide…
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…
Chiapas Bleeds as CJNG, Sinaloa Cartel Fight for Guatemala Trafficking Routes
Thousands of people have been displaced and others killed in Mexico’s southern state of Chiapas, as the Sinaloa Cartel and…
3 Takeaways From the Mexico Peace Index 2023
Organized crime groups are increasingly driving violence in Mexico’s worst affected areas, a new report has revealed. Murders related to…
Paramilitary Commander Salvatore Mancuso Reveals AUC’s Connections in Colombia
In a recent testimony before the Colombian transitional justice system, one of the most important commanders of the AUC outlined…
Ecuador’s Choneros To Fragment Further After Ex-Leader’s Murder
The murder of a notorious Ecuadorian gang leader, Junior Roldán, alias “JR,” in Colombia reveals how fragmentation has diminished the…