Clik here to view.
Honduras Sees Slight Drop in 2013 Murders
According to the latest figures, the number of murders in Honduras during the first half of 2013 has fallen, but not by enough to make a dent in Honduras' reputation as the world's most dangerous...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Interpol Targets Venezuela in Anti-Timber Trafficking Ops
Interpol has seized nearly $40 million in illegally trafficked timber, the majority from Venezuela, suggesting the country is an increasingly important market for a criminal activitiy more commonly...
View ArticleClik here to view.
ELN Deepen Involvement in Illegal Mining
Documents seized by the Colombian police suggest that the ELN are involved in the illegal mining trade in a more sophisticated way, with the guerrillas taking a share of the profits and even hoarding...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Mexico's 'Queen of the Pacific' Receives Light Sentence for Drug Crimes
Infamous Mexican drug trafficker the "Queen of the Pacific" could soon find herself walking free, after receiving a 70-month prison sentence which will be reduced further thanks to time already served;...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Cartels, Vigilantes, State Create Perfect Storm in Michoacan
The attacks on Mexican security forces by armed men across the Pacific Coast state of Michoacan in the past week have killed dozens of people and mocked the federal government's efforts to forge peace...
View ArticleClik here to view.
FARC Contracted Criminal Gang To Help With Extortion
Authorities have dismantled a band allegedly contracted by the FARC to plant explosive devices in Bogota shops in exchange for drugs and cash, in a case that further blurs the lines between the rebels...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Children Rescued From Shining Path in Peru
Security forces have rescued two children from the Shining Path guerrillas in Peru, drawing attention to the recruitment practices that have enabled the rebels to survive despite being severely...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Rise in Violence in North Nicaragua 'Linked to Organized Crime'
Experts have attributed a recent increase in violence Nicaragua's semi-autonomous northeast region to the presence of organized crime and arms trafficking, something likely related to the area's status...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Guerrero, Chihuahua Mexico's 2012 Murder Hotspots
Mexican border state Chihuahua and the southwest state of Guerrero tied for highest murder rate in the country in 2012, according to preliminary homicide figures released by the country's statistics...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Uruguay's Marijuana Bill Passes House, Awaits World's Verdict
After passing a stern test in the lower house of congress, Uruguay's historic marijuana legalization bill will soon become law, but its impact may be more international than national. The bill passed...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Costa Rica to Spy on Foreign Criminal Organizations
Costa Rica plans to begin using its embassies in other countries to track the activity of criminal organizations, suggesting the Central American country is stepping up anti-crime operations in the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Zetas
The Zetas, once the military wing of the Gulf Cartel, are among one of the most violent groups in Mexico, with a growing presence in neighboring Guatemala. The Zetas started out as an enforcer gang for...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Recordings Implicate Ex-Congresswoman in Peru Drug Deals
An ex-congresswoman and coca activist accused of links to the Shining Path guerrillas in Peru has been caught on tape apparently discussing drug deals with an alleged trafficker. Nancy Obregon, who sat...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Gulf Cartel
The Gulf Cartel is one of the oldest and most powerful of Mexico’s criminal groups but has lost territory and influence in recent years to its rivals, including its former enforcer wing, the Zetas....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Familia Michoacana
At the height of its power, the Familia Michoacana’s brutal tactics, strong base of operations and pseudo-religious ideology made it a formidable operation and a point of fascination for outsiders....
View ArticleClik here to view.
BLO
Led by the Beltran Leyva brothers, this Mexican drug trafficking organization worked with the Sinaloa Cartel before it split off in 2008, managing the groups’s hitmen networks and controlling the state...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Knights Templar
The Knights Templar (Cabelleros Templarios) is a splinter group of the once-mighty Familia Michoacana, which emerged in March 2011. Like their predecessors in the Familia, the Knights Templar cast...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Juarez Cartel
The Juarez Cartel is responsible for smuggling tons of narcotics from Mexico into the U.S. throughout its long and turbulent history, and the group’s intense rivalry with the Sinaloa Cartel helped turn...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Tijuana Cartel
The Tijuana Cartel, also known as the Arellano Felix Organization, is based in one of the most strategically important border towns in Mexico, and continues to export drugs even after being weakened by...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Urabeños
The Urabeños, also known as the Gaitanista Self-Defense Forces, are one of the most ambitious, ruthless and aggressively expansionist of Colombia's drug trafficking organizations. One of a number of...
View Article