Newsbriefing – Week of 12 November

The influence of the National Liberation Army (ELN), a Colombian armed group, is growing as the group reportedly operates on Venezuelan territory. Venezuela’s minister of defence raised criticisms towards the Colombian authorities, saying that they were not able to contain the threat of criminal groups and drug trafficking. Academics, researchers, and journalists, met on November…

Newsbriefing – Week of 29 October

A report by Euromonitor International shows that the illicit market of alcohol is a growing source of income for criminal organisation in Latin America. According to the report, the annual illegal sales of alcohol amount to $4.8 billion. Colombia Attorney General has proposed a new disruption policy to fight increasing drug production in the country,…

Newsbriefing – Week of 22 October

A report from the International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC) critically analysed the UNODC 10-years plan to tackle drug trafficking and highlighted the human cost of the international war on drugs. According to the IDPC, despite UN efforts, drug-related deaths have increased 145% in the last decade. The US Department of Justice revealed a list of…

Newsbriefing-Week of 27 of August

Britain announced a 2 million pound ($2.6 million) scheme to help authorities stop at risk children falling into the grip of traffickers and gangs who force them to move drugs over ‘county lines’ from cities to rural areas. A historic summit between the President of Colombia, Duque, and his political rivals took place at La…

News Briefing-Week of 20 of August

Authorities in Mexico have made what is almost certainly the largest seizure of methamphetamine in the country’s history, approximately 50 metric tons, along with precursor chemicals and equipment in the western state of Sinaloa. This seizure suggests that growing US demand has encouraged Mexican crime groups to increase production. In one of the largest drug…

News Briefing-Week of 13 of August

Costa Rica’s government is struggling to stall worsening violence driven by local criminal groups battling for control of domestic drug markets. Costa Rica is a key transshipment point for Colombian cocaine heading to the United States and Europe. Instead of making payments in dollars, transnational criminal organizations often pay local criminal groups in drugs. With…