Grenades Becoming Trademark of Venezuelan Extortion Gangs in Peru
A series of grenade attacks and threats linked to Venezuelan gangs and extortion in Peru reveal how the use of…
Venezuela Could Be Supplying Colombia’s Cocaine Labs With Scarce Precursor
In Venezuela, recent seizures of urea, a chemical precursor used in the production of cocaine, show how the country continues…
Tren de Aragua Brand Spurs Criminal Imposters Outside Venezuela
A string of arrests across the Andes has targeted extortionists posing as members of the Tren de Aragua, showing how…
Venezuelan Extortion Gangs Exploiting Instagram to Amplify Threats
Venezuelan extortion gangs are increasingly moving beyond issuing direct threats, instead broadcasting wide-reaching acts of intimidation to residents via social…
Venezuela’s Armed Non-State Actors Bolster Maduro in Election Lead-Up
As the 2024 presidential race gets underway in Venezuela, political violence by pro-government armed groups has intensified, in the latest…
Venezuela’s Reliance on Contraband Food Risks Industry Collapse
Venezuela’s agriculture and drinks industries may be on the brink of collapse, business leaders warn, as domestic producers face insurmountable…
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…
Environmental Crimes Plague Amazon’s Tri-Border Regions
Deep in the heart of the Amazon basin lie two tri-border regions, where environmental crimes and their perpetrators recognize no…
Digging Into a Toxic Trade: Illegal Mining in Amazon Tri-Border Regions
Illegal mining is by far the most widespread and insidious environmental crime occurring in the Amazon’s tri-border regions. In the…