3 Takeaways From the Return of the Familia Michoacana
The Familia Michoacana, a formerly powerful Mexican drug trafficking cartel whose influence waned drastically some five years ago, appears to…
GameChangers 2022: Drug Bonanza Amid Prohibition Challenges in 2023
As more governments in the region reject the drug war and prohibition model pushed by the United States, 2023 will…
GameChangers 2022: How the Chapitos Became Hyper-Capitalist Narcos
The Chapitos are winning the internal war for the Sinaloa Cartel. It’s not the same group El Chapo once ran.…
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…
Human Smugglers Take to the Waves Along Mexico’s Pacific Coast
An increase in migration by sea along Mexico’s Pacific Coast has highlighted how adaptable the country’s human smuggling networks have…
Coca Cultivation Grows in Guerrero, Mexico, but Scalability Remains Doubtful
The rapid expansion of coca leaf plantations in Mexico’s southwestern state of Guerrero is the latest indication that criminal groups…
With Legalization, Marijuana Trafficking Routes Evolve Along US-Mexico Border
The ongoing legalization of marijuana at the state level in the United States has forced organized crime groups in Mexico…
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…
Mexican Drug Trafficking Organizations’ New Marijuana Strategies
In 2010, the RAND Corporation said it was “noncontroversial” to declare that at least 50 percent of the marijuana consumed…