CJNG Reaps Revenues From Tourist Real Estate Scam in Mexico
A new slate of sanctions against businesses and individuals involved in a timeshare scam in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, demonstrates how…
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…
After US Hearing on Fentanyl, Is It Time to Retire the Word ‘Cartel’?
A recent US congressional hearing illustrated how the wanton use of the word “cartel” has made it virtually meaningless and…
How a Priest in Mexico Resists the CJNG’s Incursions
It was around midday when the armed gunmen entered the chapel. Father Rafael Bonilla López** was administering mass. In his…
Prescription Pills Laced with Meth, Fentanyl Sold in Northern Mexico Pharmacies: Report
Pharmacies in several cities in northwestern Mexico are selling counterfeit prescription pills laced with deadly drugs like methamphetamine and fentanyl,…
CJNG Control of Illegal Mining in Michoacán, Mexico, Claiming Indigenous Lives
Indigenous communities are up in arms in Michoacán, Mexico, after a series of murders and disappearances have been connected to…
GameChangers 2022: ‘Pink Cocaine,’ Cross-Border Battles, and the Frustrating Fight Against Mafia States
Welcome to InSight Crime’s Criminal GameChangers 2022, where we highlight the most important trends in organized crime in the Americas. The year saw…
How Latin America’s Synthetic Drug Traffickers Launder Dirty Cash
The rise of synthetic drugs, in particular fentanyl and methamphetamine, has changed the landscape of opportunity for drug traffickers in…
State Officials Targeted as CJNG, Sinaloa Cartel Clash in Zacatecas, Mexico
The murders of state representatives in Zacatecas, a deeply troubled and strategically important state for Mexico’s most powerful cartels, is…
Violence Rising in Hidalgo, Mexico’s Oil Theft Center
Mexico’s ordinarily quiet state of Hidalgo is seeing a rapid rise in violence connected to an increase in oil theft,…