Urban violence

Mexico: Violence Spreading

Date: January 25th, 2012 |

Drug violence that has largely been contained to the border regions is beginning to spread to places once thought safe from the infamous carnage. Two weeks ago, a pair of headless bodies were found in a burning minivan in front of one of Mexico City’s largest and most expensive shopping malls. Guadalajara and Veracruz—thought safe [read more]

United Kingdom: Riots on the Streets of London

Date: August 11th, 2011 |

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Violence that erupted in London Aug. 6 spread to other cities and caused the government to deploy some 16,000 police officers overnight Aug. 9 in the British capital. The chaos began with the death of a 29-year-old male who was shot by a police officer. Rumors of widespread violence circulated, but as of Aug. 9 [read more]

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands: Drug Violence Claims Life of 14-year-old Tourist

Date: July 14th, 2010 |

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A 14-year-old tourist from Puerto Rico on a shore excursion from a Carnival Cruise Lines ship was killed in a drug gang gun battle July 12. While the incident was a tragic case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, it underscored a growing problem in the Virgin Islands where gun violence [read more]

Italy: Fake Goods Carry Hefty Price; Thuggery on the Rise in Rome

Date: June 9th, 2010 |

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It’s hard to resist a bargain, especially if it strolls right up to you on the beach, but an Austrian tourist discovered the true cost of buying a fake Louis Vuitton purse from a vendor when she was hit with a 1,000 euro ($1,195) fine for buying a $13 knockoff. The beach vendors, often Senegalese [read more]

Thailand: Armed Forces Breach Bangkok Red-Shirt Barricades

Date: May 19th, 2010 |

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Thai armed forces mounted an all-day operation May 19 to clear protesters from their encampment in downtown Bangkok, breaching the barricades with armored vehicles. The situation is fluid and may unfold over several days, with violence [read more]

Jamaica: New York City Retiree Shot to Death

Date: September 13th, 2011 |

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Jamaican police said that a 57-year-old retiree from New York City was shot to death outside a relative’s house in Clarendon parish late Sunday night. The Constabulary Communications Network reported that the retiree was gunned down while in her car. The victim was a resident of Kingston, originally from the Bronx. Police have not made [read more]

Mexico: Possible Retaliatory Attacks in Puerto Vallarta

Date: September 1st, 2010 |

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Following the detonation of a hand grenade in a bar popular with locals near, but outside the main tourist area of Puerto Vallarta Aug. 25, the U.S. Consulate General in Guadalajara issued a warning about two other establishments that might be targeted for retaliatory attacks: La Vaquita Grill located at Lazaro Cardenas #567, El Pitillal, [read more]

Colombia: Medellín Drug Violence Returning

Date: June 16th, 2010 |

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Medellín may be reverting to its old, violent ways. The city once known for drug king Pablo Escobar and narcotics violence went through a renaissance and became one of Colombia’s most popular and cultured cities, often referred to as the Miracle of Medellín. But now drug gangs are fighting a turf war in Comuna 13, [read more]

Jamaica: Police Storm Kingston Slum to Root Out Drug Lord

Date: May 26th, 2010 |

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The government’s attempt to extradite a suspected drug lord to the U.S. erupted in significant violence in Kingston May 23 when security forces had to storm his stronghold to try to take him into custody. At least 30 people were killed in gun battles and violence spread to nearby Spanish Town where a major road [read more]

Mexico: Drug Violence Comes to Cuernavaca

Date: May 5th, 2010 |

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The drug violence that has plagued the U.S.-Mexico border region and Mexico’s coastal areas recently spread into the heart of Mexico, erupting in the usually quiet city of Cuernavaca. Rivals have been fighting for control of a notorious drug cartel following the death of the group’s boss in a marine raid in December, and in [read more]

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