Exactly one year ago, we reported that migrant smuggling had gone from a tertiary criminal economy to a major revenue stream for some of the region’s most powerful organized crime groups.

But in just a few months in 2025, that flourishing criminal economy built around migrant smuggling dried up.

This week, we examine and explain that phenomenon, diving into an article from our signature GameChangers series, which spotlights the biggest shifts in organized crime across Latin America.

Migration Smuggling Market Goes From Boom to Bust | Written by Victoria Dittmar and Sam Woolston, and read by Liza Schmidt.

Visit insightcrime.org for more information.