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…
Changing Faces: Sinaloa Cartel’s Longtime Colombia-Connect Sentenced to Prison
The sentencing of a notorious leader of Colombia’s Norte del Valle Cartel marks the end of a lucrative and bloody…
Women in the Room: Q&A With Narcas Author Deborah Bonello
A new book by journalist Deborah Bonello examines the roles women play in organized crime and argues that their participation…
Latin America’s Criminal Bankers: Explaining Colombians’ Monopoly on Gota-a-Gota
Three cases in recent weeks highlight how Colombian groups continue to dominate gota-a-gota loansharking schemes across Central and South America,…
How Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel Has Stayed United for Decades
The break-up cycle of large criminal groups in Mexico is a predictable one. One after another, groups have arisen to…
Mexico’s Rising Femicides Linked to Organized Crime
Increased militarization and the so-called “war on drugs” have played a key part in the recent increase in gender-based violence…
From Smuggling to Trafficking: One Migrant’s Nightmare on the Guatemala-Mexico Border
On July 21, 2021, prosecutors from Guatemala’s Attorney General’s Office and agents of the National Civil Police (Policía Nacional Civil…
US Indicts Chinese Companies in New Approach to Fighting Precursor Chemicals
The US government has brought its first-ever criminal charges against Chinese companies for allegedly trafficking precursor chemicals used to produce…