Mexico
Michoacán: more clashes over self-defense units
Mexican army troops fired on villagers who blocked roads when soldiers arrived to arrest the leader of a self-defense militia who refused orders to demobilize.
Tag: narco wars
North Africa
‘Narco-jihadist’ threat seen in North Africa
Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and related networks are said to control Saharan smuggling routes for Moroccan hashish to fund their regional operations.
The Andes
Colombia: state seizes narco-lands from FARC
Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos announced details of an operation to seize nearly 278,000 hectares said to have been illegally usurped by the FARC.
The Andes
Colombia overtakes Peru in coca production
Colombia surpassed Peru last year in land under coca cultivation, resuming the dubious honor of the number one position for the first time since 2012.
Mexico
Details emerge in Mexican massacre
A human rights group in Mexico released new evidence that military officers gave orders to kill prior to an army mass slaying of more than 20 supposed narco-gang members.
Central America
Guatemala political money linked to criminality
The UN International Commission Against Impunity reported that approximately a quarter of the money used for Guatemalan political campaigns is from criminal groups.
Afghanistan
ISIS burns opium to gain Afghanistan foothold
Fighters loyal to ISIS have seized substantial territory in Afghanistan, burning opium fields in an apparent bid to stigmatize the Taliban as corrupt and soft on drugs.
Mexico
Mexico: Chapo Guzmán escapes —again!
A massive manhunt is underway in Mexico after the country's most notorious drug lord escaped from the country's highest security prison through a secret tunnel.
Mexico
Mexico: violence continues in wake of elections
Mexico's ruling coalition kept its slim majority in elections marred by violence and assassination of candidates. Striking teachers attempted to disrupt the vote, calling it a farce.
The Andes
Colombia: peace talks resume —as war escalates
Peace talks with the FARC rebels resumed in Havana—but rather than answering rebel calls for a bilateral ceasefire, the government has stepped up air-strikes.
Mexico
Mexico: new ‘massacre’ in Michoacán
Survivors are questioning official accounts of a shoot-out between Mexican federal forces and a narco gang that left over 40 dead in the Michoacán town of Tanhuato.
The Andes
Peru: Sendero links to Colombian cartel claimed
Peru's authorities claim to have evidence that the neo-Senderistas are in league with a re-organized Colombian cocaine cartel, ironically known as the "Cafeteros" (coffee-producers).