Independent Criminal Groups
The variety of extortionists in Central America speaks to the ease with which opportunists can set up their own schemes. Independent actors have taken advantage of...
Loan Sharking Grows in Costa Rica by Piggybacking on Drug Trafficking
Costa Rica’s economic crisis and its strategic position along drug trafficking routes have created the perfect storm for a new type of extortion to take root:...
Extortion Explainer 3: The Modus Operandi
A cheap phone and a few dollars’ worth of prepaid credit serve as the rudimentary tools of extortionists in Northern Triangle countries. Here are some of the most...
Analysis /
Costa Rica’s Port of Limón Feeds European Cocaine Pipeline
A remote port along the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica has long seen shipments of bananas and pineapples conceal another product: cocaine. Now that the Moín port,...
Analysis /
GameChangers 2018: The Year Crime Became an Ideology
Welcome to InSight Crime’s Criminal GameChangers 2018, where we highlight the most important trends in organized crime in the Americas over the course of the...
Brief /
Costa Rica Remains Peaceful In Fight Against Crime
Costa Rica has been a beacon of peace in a conflict- and crime-ridden region since the abolition of its armed forces in 1948, yet a rise in violent crime in recent...
Brief /
Costa Rica Crime Groups Diversifying Oil Theft Techniques
The ways in which bands of fuel thieves in Costa Rica are tapping oil pipelines in order to steal and later resell the good are growing increasingly sophisticated,...
Brief /
Drug Suspect’s Arrest Raises Questions About Nicaragua Judicial Corruption
Authorities in Costa Rica arrested an alleged leader of an international drug trafficking organization while he was dining with the son of a Nicaraguan Supreme...
Analysis /
What Is Behind Growing Violence In Costa Rica?
Costa Rica’s recently-elected President Carlos Alvarado Quesada has officially hit 100 days in office. But his government is still struggling to stall worsening...