Argentina has long been considered a safe haven from the violence of the drug trade in Latin America, but the assassination of a former henchman of Colombian crime boss "Loco" Barrera in Buenos Aires last week indicates it may no longer be the refuge it once was.

Authorities say that homicides are rising in Maceio, the world's third most violent city, thanks to the spread of crack cocaine across Brazil.

Authorities dismantled a smugglers' ring that trafficked hundreds of kilos of cocaine from Argentina to Europe, pointing to the continent's increased importance as a consumer market.

Uruguay is one of Latin America's safest countries, but according to the Ministry of the Interior the country is threatened by Brazilian drug traffickers who may be making their way south. 

In recent years, officials have expressed increasing concern about the influence of Central American street gangs, known as “maras,” in South America; but while street gangs are on the rise in the region, they are a different beast.

Paraguay destroyed 242 tons of marijuana seized during a 10-day operation, a reminder that the country is a major supplier of the plant to other consumers in South America, especially Brazil.

In spite of a security surge by the Paraguayan military, the country’s elusive rebel army is rapidly gaining momentum, having dramatically stepped up its operations last year.

The indictment of a Lebanese man accused of running a money laundering and drug trafficking ring for Hezbollah in Colombia has sparked fresh concerns about the Islamic militia group's connections to organized crime in Latin America, but this may be an overreaction.

The Chilean government suspects that a radical indigenous group could be behind a deadly wildfire tearing through the rural Biobio, Maule and Araucania regions of central Chile.

Brazil's police seized 80 times more ecstasy tabs this year compared to 2010, a sign that availability of the synthetic drug is rising dramatically inside the country.