Gangs
Gangs Advance on the Seat of Haitian Government Power: ‘Haitians Are Hostages’
Gangs are increasing their chokehold on Haiti’s capital, using bulldozers to raze entire neighborhoods, overwhelming poorly armed police and taking their violence to within blocks of the seat of government. While Haitians have endured relentless bloodshed and tragedy for years, the escalation of lawlessness in recent weeks and the government’s inability to exert control has […]
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Haitian Gang Leader Is Charged With Abducting American Missionaries
WASHINGTON — A leader of a notorious street gang responsible for abducting 17 people tied to an American-based missionary group in Haiti last year was indicted by a federal grand jury on Tuesday on charges of conspiracy to commit hostage taking, prosecutors said. Joly Germine, also known as Yonyon, was a top member of the […]
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Young Thug, Atlanta Rap Star, Is Arrested on Gang-Related Charges
Monday’s 88-page indictment, however, alleges that the gang was involved in a wide variety of illegal activities, including witness intimidation, murder, attempted murder, carjacking, robbery, theft and drug dealing. A number of people are named as victims of shootings or attempted shootings, including Dwayne Carter, the New Orleans hip-hop star who raps under the name […]
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In El Salvador, the President Cracks Down on Civil Liberties
TONACATEPEQUE, El Salvador — It has been four weeks since the shoemaker vanished from his hometown, hauled away in handcuffs by Salvadoran police. The family of the man, Heber Peña, 29, has gathered business receipts and signatures from clients to prove he makes his money honestly. They fear he is now stuck in an overcrowded […]
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Deep in Colombia, Rebels and Soldiers Fight for the Same Prize: Drugs
The numbers, however, tell a different story, his opponents say. By the time Mr. Duque, who is restricted to a single term, took charge, 22 percent of the deal had already been fully carried out, according to the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies. During his tenure, he increased that proportion by 8 percentage points, […]
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El Salvador Declares State of Emergency After Gang Killings
El Salvador declared a state of emergency Sunday after gangs went on a killing spree on Saturday, randomly shooting street vendors, bus passengers and marketgoers. It was the single bloodiest day in the country on record since the end of its civil war 30 years ago. In the early hours of Sunday morning, El Salvador’s […]
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A Look Inside Rikers: ‘Fight Night’ and Gang Rule, Captured on Video
The men had gotten along on Rikers Island, had even been friendly, but now they were face to face inside a jail cell — and a gang leader had just ordered them to fight. Unable to refuse him, the men began to pummel one another while, outside the cell, other detainees jostled and cheered. When […]
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