Topic: Organized Crime

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Sixth Summit of the Americas: 8 things to watch

Yes, the Summit of the Americas in Cartagena will debate drug policy and Cuba. Here are eight other topics to be discussed at the Summit.
'The Godfather': 10 behind-the-scenes stories about the making of the classic films

From Tom Santopietro's new book 'The Godfather Effect,' a behind-the-scenes peek into making one of the greatest film series of all time.
HBO makes great TV from books

More and more popular books are becoming HBO series. Here are some of the most well-known.
5 best mysteries of the holiday season

From Austen and Conan Doyle imitators to a reporter following a mysterious homicide, these five novels are sure to please any mystery fan
Sinaloa group 101: Five facts about Mexico's powerful drug cartel

The Sinaloa cartel is the most powerful drug trafficking organization operating in Mexico – and, some say, in the Western Hemisphere. Who are they?

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Culture Cafe
'Dexter' may have found its villain for season 7

'Dexter' has cast actor Jason Gedrick for the new season. Will he, actor Ray Stevenson, or someone different altogether be Dexter's nemesis?
Bomb explodes at school in Italy, killing and wounding students

One student, a teenage girl, was killed in the blast; as many as ten others were wounded. No one has yet claimed responsibility.
Latin America Monitor
Child drug traffickers: What can be done?

Between 5,000 and 14,000 children are recruited as soldiers in Colombia, writes a guest blogger, and the recruitment of minors by gangs is increasingly a problem across Latin America.
Latin America Monitor
Interpol launches anti-piracy operation across the Americas

There is evidence that drug trafficking organizations in countries including Mexico and Colombia have moved into counterfeiting, writes guest blogger Hannah Stone.
Latin America Monitor
Mexico weighs law to compensate victims of drug violence

Mexico's Senate approved a law that would provide compensation of up to $70,000 to victims of organized crime, writes a guest blogger. It still needs approval from the House of Representatives.
Latin America Monitor
Ecuador: easy base for terrorists and criminals?

The Ecuadorean Constitution calls for 'universal citizenship,' granting free mobility – with or without a passport. But lax regulations are raising fears of easy access for terrorists or organized crime.
Latin America Monitor
8 taxi drivers killed in Mexico: why are they targeted by cartels?

Taxis often serve as lookouts for criminal groups, warning of police deployments. If drivers were working for a cartel, they could be targeted by rival gangs, writes a guest blogger.
Sixth Summit of the Americas: 8 things to watch

Yes, the Summit of the Americas in Cartagena will debate drug policy and Cuba. Here are eight other topics to be discussed at the Summit.
Latin America Monitor
Indicted: US soldiers offer to serve as hired guns for Mexican gangs

Four former and current members of the US military offered training, supplies, and assassinations-for-hire to DEA agents posing as Zetas, writes guest blogger Geoffrey Ramsey.
Latin America Monitor
Support for crime boss 'Dudas' Coke still strong in Jamaica

'Dudas' Coke reportedly helped poor people in his neighborhood pay for food and school fees, making him wildly popular despite international charges of brutality, writes guest blogger Hannah Stone.
Funny moments with Jonah Hill in '21 Jump Street': movie review (+trailer)

Actor Jonah Hill has some funny moments, but his co-star Channing Tatum and the movie itself both try too hard to be goofy.
Latin America Monitor
Street gangs on the rise in South America: Are Central America's 'Maras' among them?

South American street gangs may not be as notorious as the violent 'maras,' but they pose a significant threat to security, writes guest blogger Geoffrey Ramsey.
Bo Xilai: a stunning and highly public fall from grace in China (+video)

Bo Xilai, a senior Communist Party official, was abruptly dismissed amid scandal, ending his ambition of a top post. His removal could complicate a key year of political transition in China.
Whitey Bulger case: Mobster’s girlfriend pleads guilty to charges

Whitey Bulger’s girlfriend pleaded guilty today to charges of harboring her longtime lover before being captured last year in Santa Monica, Calif.
Latin America Monitor
Is Ecuador prepared to counter rise in organized crime?

Ecuador has been described as the 'United Nations of organized crime,' but authorities may underestimate the repercussions, writes guest blogger Elyssa Pachico.
Latin America Monitor
Mexico's Gulf Cartel increasingly relies on women

The number of women working in the drug trade is estimated to have grown in Mexico by 400 percent between 2007 and 2010, writes guest blogger Patrick Corcoran.
Latin America Monitor
Latin America's economic rise may be undercut by violence

Latin America is on the rise with strong regional GDPs and decreasing poverty rates. Yet homicide rates have grown by 30 percent in recent years, threatening to spoil 'Latin America's Decade.'
Italy's Mafia troubles creep north

The Mafia has long been a part of life in southern Italy, while the north remained mostly untainted. Organized crime has now solidified its presence in prosperous northern Italy.
Latin America Monitor
Brazilian activists urge crackdown on 'death squads'

Human rights officials aim to make contract killing a federal crime in Brazil after two journalists are killed.
Latin America Monitor
Mexico cartels stronger than ever?

Recent report says Mexico's cartels are more powerful than they were when Calderón came to office, but this overlooks the fracturing of larger gangs, writes guest blogger Patrick Corcoran.
Mexico prison riot a cover for Zetas escape

Mexican prison guards may have helped 30 Zeta drug cartel members escape during a prison riot. Some 44 inmates were killed at the Apodaca prison in northern Mexico early Sunday.
Why military hawks are leading drug legalization debate in Latin America

Mexico, Colombia, and Guatemala want to decriminalize drugs, but with a military approach. This means going after criminals and gangs with military and police force before they can regroup.
A top cop in China disappears. Medical leave or US asylum?

China's rumor mill is ablaze over the whereabouts of Wang Lijun, a top police chief in Chongqing who 'went on vacation-style treatment.' What happens next could be a blow to a top Communist Party contender.
'The Godfather': 10 behind-the-scenes stories about the making of the classic films

From Tom Santopietro's new book 'The Godfather Effect,' a behind-the-scenes peek into making one of the greatest film series of all time.
Latin America Monitor
Organized crime sets its sights on peaceful Uruguay

Uruguay is known as one of the safest countries in Latin America, but organized crime and violence are on the rise.