Latin America and the Caribbean are particularly affected by organized crime groups operating transnationally and associated with high levels of violence in the region. Access to illicit firearms by these groups contributes to exacerbating the impact of other crimes such as drug trafficking and gang violence, among others. Paradoxically, organized crime groups thrive partially because they become providers of security and livelihoods in communities with little state presence.
During the pandemic, organized crime groups seem to have seized opportunities to increase their cybercrime activities, as well as to strengthen control over "their territory" by supplying essential supplies to local communities. More concerning is the high probability that organized crime groups in the region are diverting funds intended for recovery and infiltrating legal economies through legitimate businesses, mainly in the retail, transportation, and hotel industries, which are struggling to survive the pandemic's effects.
As the virus spread, governments introduced stricter measures of social mobility in many countries, requiring increased attention and involvement of law enforcement, weakening their capacity to address crime.
Like in other regions, organized crime groups in Latin America and the Caribbean are not only involved in drug trafficking (a topic that will be specifically addressed later) but in a wide variety of illicit activities such as human trafficking, illicit trafficking of migrants, illicit trafficking of firearms, cybercrime, extortion (especially in Central America), as well as trafficking in gold, timber, and wildlife and other crimes that impact the environment.
1. Support the development and implementation of national strategies for the implementation of the UNTOC and its three protocols on human trafficking, illicit trafficking of migrants, and trafficking in firearms. The above will also support the newly launched Review Mechanism. This process will be accompanied by two specific measures aimed at rethinking commitments at the regional level.
2. A more harmonized approach to continue supporting Member States in the implementation of specialized cross-border efforts that have shown positive results in the detection and interdiction of illegal trafficking, such as the Container Control Programme (CCP), the Airport Communications Programme (AIRCOP), and the Global Maritime Crime Programme (GMCP). Specifically, UNODC will increase efforts to establish capabilities against emerging security threats at sea, an area of growing relevance as greater controls are implemented on land and air, leading to an increase in the use of maritime space for the illicit trafficking of goods, controlled substances, and people.
3. A specific regional initiative focused on strengthening normative and operational capacities to address crimes affecting the environment, especially illicit mining, wildlife trafficking, forests, and waste, as well as crimes in the fishing sector. All these criminal markets are often highly coordinated in the region and use the same networks and facilitators involved in the trafficking of firearms and drugs. Despite recent efforts by some countries in Latin America and the Caribbean to strengthen their criminal justice systems to confront the complexity of environmental crimes, much more is needed.
UNODC's Global Programme for Combating Wildlife and Forest Crimes (GPWLFC) will continue to lead efforts to strengthen, coordinate, and build regional law enforcement networks in wildlife, bringing together national agencies in information sharing, investigations, and national and regional operations. It will also continue to build national and regional capacity in Central America, the Caribbean, and South America, strengthening all components of the criminal justice system to address these crimes with a comprehensive "from crime scene to court" approach, and ensuring coordination with allies of the International Consortium to Combat Wildlife Crime, such as the World Bank, the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), INTERPOL, and the World Customs Organization (WCO), in addition to working closely with civil society allies.
4. Increase regional information sharing and evidence-based planning, coordination, and collaboration to combat transnational organized crime, including through police cooperation, international judicial and border control networks. Three specific elements will be prioritized in this area: • Development of a Post-COVID Transnational Organized Crime Threat Assessment as a point of entry for adapting existing work to current needs, ensuring consolidation and standardization of data on drugs and crime.
• Strengthening capacities to address cybercrime, including digital forensic science and promotion of public-private partnerships with technology sector companies and Internet service providers.
• Through programs such as CRIMJUST, promote information sharing and development of platforms that facilitate bilateral and multilateral cooperation and coordination, including the establishment of joint investigation teams, in line with the UNTOC.
Cybercrime
Maritime crime
Passenger control program
Human trafficking and illegal migration
Arms program
