Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua Loses its Home
Tren de Aragua, Venezuela’s most powerful home-grown criminal syndicate has just lost its home base, while its leadership is in…
Tren de Aragua’s Criminal Portfolio: Adapt or Die
“PEOPLE ARE NOT MERCHANDISE,” reads a billboard at the main boarding crossing from Colombia to Ecuador. Yet that is exactly…
Three Stages in the Construction of the Tren de Aragua’s Transnational Empire
“Tour operators” offering trips to Bogotá, Medellín, and even as far afield as Ecuador and Peru, swarm anyone stepping off…
Escobar’s Former Hitman Takes the Road to ‘Total Peace’ in Medellín, Colombia
Henry Holguín looked out from the empty second-floor balcony of a small restaurant in La Bayadera, a busy industrial neighborhood…
How Corruption, Complicity Fuel Human Trafficking in Ciudad Juárez
On the last school day before the Easter vacation, two carefree teenagers strolled along the once-vibrant sidewalks of Bellavista, one…
Death and Disappearance: Human Trafficking in Baja California
On a sunny afternoon outside the blue facade of the Hotel Acapulco in the heart of Tijuana’s red-light district, several…
Human Trafficking on the US-Mexico Border: Family Clans, Coyotes, or ‘Cartels’?
Human trafficking is one of the most complex and misunderstood criminal economies in the world. This is especially true along…
The Timebomb That Exploded Twice: Behind The Massacres in Honduras’ Women’s Prison
With a blaring siren, the Honduran Prison Police patrol car dodges through Tegucigalpa’s congested morning traffic, screeching into the Escuela…
Expanding Drug Trafficking on Peru’s Borders With Colombia and Brazil
The Amazon forest and watershed shared by Peru, Colombia, and Brazil provide ideal cover for coca cultivation and processing. As…
Challenges and Opportunities in Protecting Amazon Tri-Border Regions
Scattered domestic laws and competing interests intersect in the tri-border regions of the Amazon. Commitments to protecting its wilderness change…