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'Chance' Meeting Raises More Questions about Mexico Vigilantes
A meeting between a senior government official and a leading member of Mexico's self-defense militias in Michoacan has put both sides on the defensive after details emerged of the vigilante leader's...
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Insecurity Fuels Honduras Illegal Gun Ownership of Over 1 Mn
Two thirds of the 1.8 million guns in Honduras are reportedly circulating illegally, with the country's geography and high perceptions of insecurity fueling gun ownership. According to newspaper La...
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Michoacan, Guerrero and Mexico's Mixed Response to Vigilantes
The reach of southwestern Mexico's self-defense militias has swelled in recent weeks, but while in some parts of the country they have been aided by federal forces, in others they have been blocked,...
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Authorities Suspect Mass Complicity of Peru Exporters in Illegal Gold Mining
Authorities in Peru suspect half of all the country's gold exporters have connections to illegal gold mining, demonstrating just how entwined the legal and illegal Peruvian gold markets have become....
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War for Cocaine Corridors Consumes Colombia's Busiest Port
Residents of Buenaventura have become prisoners of war in the battle for Colombia's primary cocaine port. They are confined within invisible borders, silenced by macabre atrocities and live at the...
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Journalist Account of Zetas' Coercion Highlights Dangers to Mexico Media
A Mexican journalist forced to leave the country out of fear for her life has provided an account of how Tamaulipas media was coerced by the Zetas, detailing her experiences and offering a personal...
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Uribe Accusations Reminder of Narco Money in Colombia Politics
The emergence of allegations made by an incarcerated drug baron that he funded the political activities of Colombia's former President Alvaro Uribe comes as a timely reminder of the country's...
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Latin America's Counterfeit Markets Aiding Organized Crime
Latin America is home to five of 11 countries identified by the United States as hotbeds of counterfeit and pirated goods -- a hugely profitable trade closely linked to organized crime. According to a...
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Early Removal of Guatemala Prosecutor Shows Power of Elites
Guatemala's Attorney General Claudia Paz y Paz is being prematurely pushed out of office, an illustration of the ability of the country's elites to manipulate the judicial system. On February 5, the...
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Argentina Narco-Clan Tactics Emulate Established Regional Groups
Death threats issued to journalists in Argentina by a drug gang in Mendoza follow an intimidation tactic used by major cartels throughout the region, indicating the methods of local groups may be...
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Spain Op Reveals Colombia-Led Money Laundering Network
Police in Spain have dismantled a transnational Colombia-led criminal network responsible for laundering around $7 million in drug money, underlining the European nation's strategic importance to Latin...
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Mexico City Marijuana Bill Comes Amid Regional Drug War Criticism
Lawmakers in Mexico City have submitted proposed legislation that would decriminalize marijuana use in the capital, an initiative that has drawn praise from regional leaders but also raises questions...
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Argentina Admits It Has a Drug Problem
Argentina's defense minister has acknowledged the country is now a drug producer, an admission that underscores the increasing strength of the drug trade, as violence rises in major production and...
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Spain Gunfight May Become Common As Colombians Get Access to Europe
A firefight in Spain between a criminal group from Colombia and African drug traffickers has led to twelve arrests, perhaps a flavor of things to come as Europe prepares to lift visa restrictions for...
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Favela Battle Reveals Complexity of Rio's Criminal Landscape
A battle for control of a favela between members of the Terceiro Comando Puro and Comando Vermelho offers a perfect illustration of the nature of criminal control and gang conflict in Rio de Janeiro,...
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Mexico Govt Focus on Michoacan Overshadows Guerrero Chaos
Mexico's Pacific coastal state of Guerrero is the site of escalating chaos, a problem partly hidden by the federal government's single-minded focus on the neighboring state of Michoacan. As the state...
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US-Colombia Operation Uncovers FARC, ELN Links to Russian Mafia
A newspaper in Colombia has reported a drugs-for-guns arrangement involving the country's two main guerrilla organizations and the Russian Mafia, in a case which highlights both the close relationship...
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Pure Third Command
The Pure Third Command (Terceiro Comando Puro - TCP) can be traced back to a split from the Red Command prison gang in the mid-1980s. While it is not as dominant as its rivals in that gang or in Amigos...
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Alleged FARC International Drug Contact Extradited from Guatemala
Guatemala has extradited a woman reported to have served as a link between Colombia's rebels and international drug trafficking organizations, suggesting that an individual FARC unit has developed its...
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Honduras Transport Extortion Generates $27 Mn Annually: Govt
New government studies have revealed extortion of Honduras' transport sector earns criminal groups more than $27 million each year, highlighting the extent of a crime that pervades Central America....
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