News Analysis
Mexico Needlessly Plans to Alter Justice Agency
Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto has put forward a plan to radically reshape the nation’s Justice Department, the latest example of a long national pattern of unnecessary institutional reform disguised as progress. Read More
Rising Dragon? The Chinese Mafia Threat in Latin America
Chinese mafia operations in Latin America are little understood, but a recent report on these groups in Argentina illustrates how they make their presence felt via extortion, human smuggling rings…
Read MoreHow the Jalisco Cartel Evolved with Mexico's Drug War
In the competitive and ever-changing environment of Mexico's drug trade, groups like the CJNG and the Knights Templar have kept their position by adopting a regional strategy, rather than expanding…
Read MoreAfter Vigilante War, Drug Trafficking Returns to Michoacan, Mexico
In late September, members of Mexico's Gendarmerie, the new federal police squad, made a quiet but significant discovery among the lime farms of the Tierra Caliente region in Michoacan state…
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News Briefs
Video Contradicts Venezuela Govt Claims in Politician's Death
Venezuela's government attempted to present a young politician's murder as a political killing, but a surveillance video appears to contradict this narrative, suggesting the embattled president may be manipulating information to bolster his weakening position. Read More
As Drug Threat Grows, Paraguay Approves Shoot-Down Law
Paraguay's Senate has approved a shoot-down law for unauthorized planes in an effort to combat drug trafficking, just as a reporter is murdered by suspected drug traffickers, but the country lacks the necessary resources to enforce any shoot-down policy or protect its journalists. Read More
Honduras Busts Child Prostitution Ring Used by Security Forces
Authorities in Honduras have dismantled a network that prostituted underage girls, in a case where the security forces not only protected the criminal operations, but were also clients. Read More
Bolivia Steps Up Fight Against Drugs in Amazon
Bolivia's anti-drug task force has increased security operations to combat the growing presence of drug trafficking groups in the Amazon, a neglected but hugely strategic area for organized crime, not only in Bolivia, but also Peru, Brazil and Colombia. Read More
