How Bukele’s War on Gangs Transformed El Salvador
El Salvador President Nayib Bukele’s offensive against gangs severely weakened the Mara Salvatrucha (MS13) and Barrio 18 and turned his…
Mapping Latin America’s Megaprisons
In the three years since President of El Salvador Nayib Bukele opened his famous Terrorism Confinement Center (Centro de Confinamiento…
The InSight Take: El Salvador’s Mass Trials Put Bukele’s Gang Crackdown on Display
El Salvador’s mass trials of alleged gang members are the latest phase in President Nayib Bukele’s hardline security model, aimed…
How Guatemala’s Gang Crisis Reached a Boiling Point
Guatemala is returning to hardline security policies amid a resurgence of gang activity, two years after its president pledged a…
GameChangers 2025: Top Criminal Newsmakers This Year
In a year that saw a dramatic reset to the fight against the drug trade and organized crime in the…
US Foreign Terrorist Designations in Latin America: An Interactive Map
The United States has intensified its tactics for fighting organized crime in Latin America, including designating various Latin American criminal…
Feeding the Beast: MS13 in Nashville
In early 2017, Hansy Sanchez was selling drugs at Bola 8, a dingy Latino pool hall and bar in a…
Feeding the Beast: MS13 in Nashville
In early 2017, Hansy Sanchez was selling drugs at Bola 8, a dingy Latino pool hall and bar in a…
Tren de Aragua in Tennessee: A Ghost Train?
In December 2023, Tennessee authorities detained Yilibeth Rivero De Caldera. Better known as “Yibi,” Rivero is a thickset Venezuelan woman…
Tren de Aragua in Tennessee: A Ghost Train?
In December 2023, Tennessee authorities detained Yilibeth Rivero De Caldera. Better known as “Yibi,” Rivero is a thickset Venezuelan woman…