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The Day the Bombs Fell: The Anti-Gang Op Where Venezuela’s Security Forces Ran Wild
On the night of July 29, 2024, a criminal commando unit armed with rifles, shotguns, and grenades launched an assault on a school…
When Tren del Llano Went to War: Stolen Elections and Vengeance in Venezuela
Tren del Llano’s assault on a voting center was a remarkable criminal intervention in a political crisis. But the story behind it—told to InSight…
Visual Explainer: Mapping Fentanyl Corridors in Mexico
Before fentanyl reaches the streets, a wide range of actors influence its movement across Mexico and into the United States, from precursor chemical suppliers and independent clandestine producers to trafficking…
Why Cocaine Keeps Flowing Through the Caribbean: A Visual Guide
The Caribbean has long been a pivotal node in the global drug trade, acting as a stepping stone for South American cocaine destined for consumers in Europe…
How Criminal Decisions Over the Drug Market Impact Public Health in Northern Mexico
As international drug policy increasingly moves toward public health strategies, the experiences in northern Mexico suggest that criminal control over local markets, and the…
How Fentanyl Was Introduced in Mexico’s Local Drug Markets
As Mexican criminal organizations became the main suppliers of illicit fentanyl to the United States, small pockets of domestic consumption began to emerge along key trafficking corridors. Since…
5 Models of Criminal Control Over Fentanyl Markets in Northern Mexico
In various parts of Mexico, local drug markets do not operate according to supply-and-demand logics alone. What is sold, how it is sold, how much it…
The Future of Drug Trafficking Out of Venezuela
Drug trafficking out of Venezuela predates Nicolás Maduro and will long outlive him. The question is whether the cocaine trade will continue to be managed and regulated by the…
Camaraderie and Drug Trafficking: Colombian Guerrillas in Venezuela
The ELN, in cooperation with Venezuelan authorities, has used several tactics to consolidate its control along the Colombia-Venezuela border. This binational boundary is crossed by countless drug trafficking corridors,…