Palestinians work their fields for a pittance — thanks to the economic woes caused by Israel’s blockade. By Matthew Cassel

Emile Bouari was an unprincipled businessman who’d been accused of ripping people off. But it would take Operation Bo-Tox to get him to launder money. By Trevor Aaronson

A brutal murder rocked a small Southern town. Cops quickly closed the case. Then came another murder. And another. Did putting the wrong man in jail let a real killer go free? Welcome to Murderville. By Liliana Segura, Jordan Smith

Visual journalism, in its many forms, is a vital part of news: It can provide evidence that allows us to hold people and institutions accountable, and it can help us build empathy for the plight of others. This year, The Intercept sent photographers and video journalists into the field to bring viewers to places they might not otherwise see, and to move them with human stories — from the release of Palestinian activist Ahed Tamimi to the reunification of families separated at the U.S.-Mexico border. Our illustrations and data visualizations helped elucidate complex issues, from the scope of sexual abuse in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention to the National Security Agency’s hidden network of spy hubs around the country.

Photo: Alex Potter

The rule bars U.S. aid money from going to international groups that provide abortions or support the right to have them, and its impact is far-reaching.

By Laura Kasinof

Illustration: Nicole Rifkin

Immigrants sexually abused in ICE detention have been saying #MeToo for years. They faced retaliation and a system unwilling to hold itself accountable.

By Alice Speri

Photo: Carlos Pérez Osorio

The barricades have been cleared and there is a veneer that the crisis is over, but over 200 Nicaraguans involved in protests face trial for terrorism.

By Sarah Kinosian, Carlos Pérez Osorio

Photo: Verónica G. Cárdenas

Border communities still remember when a U.S. Marine assigned to a drug interdiction task force mistakenly shot and killed an 18-year-old boy.

By Melissa del Bosque

Illustrations: Matt Rota

Rather than mending intercommunal rifts to pave the way for reconciliation, the ISIS trials risk further polarizing Iraq’s fractured society.

By Simona Foltyn

Still: Lou Marillier and Daisy Squires

The extreme lengths people will go not to have children illustrate the depth of Venezuela’s economic crisis, and its disproportionate effect on women.

By Lou Marillier and Daisy Squires

Photo: Samar Hazboun

Ahed Tamimi’s story highlighted the plight of Palestinian children in Israeli military jails. Hundreds more remain behind bars.

By Alice Speri

Photo: Joel Angel Juárez

ICE told Carlos Rueda Cruz to focus on “illegal aliens” with criminal histories. He would need to produce one name per month or be sent back to Mexico.

By Ryan Katz

Photo Illustration: The Intercept

As I took the stand, I thought about how much press freedom had been lost and how drastically national security reporting had changed in the post-9/11 era.

By Jim Risen

Six months after Hurricane Maria, Puerto Ricans are designing a recovery that defends their island. Politicians and bitcoin billionaires have other ideas.

By Naomi Klein

Photo: Ilana Panich-Linsman

Wendell Lindsey is serving life in a Texas prison, but his conviction relied on dubious drowning science and a key witness with secrets of her own.

By Jordan Smith

Illustration: Clay Rodery

There are an estimated 60,000 gang members in El Salvador. Benjamin knew many who wanted to leave, but they were afraid. He wanted to show them they could.

By Danielle Mackey

Photo: Steven Day

These fortress-like AT&T buildings are central to a secret NSA program that has monitored billions of communications, documents and sources reveal.

By Ryan Gallagher, Henrik Moltke

Photo: Ariel Zambelich

Danny Michel was wrongfully deported in 2016. After fighting for two years to return, ICE defied a court order and detained him.

By Alice Speri

Art: Matt Lubchansky

In a frank and wide-ranging conversation, Steny Hoyer laid down the law for Levi Tillemann. The decision, Tillemann was told, had been made long ago.

By Lee Fang

Photo: Alex Potter

Photojournalist Alex Potter chronicles the suffering of Yemenis after three years of fighting and near famine.

By Alex Potter

Photo: Debi Cornwall

The lawyer-turned-photographer shows life on the periphery of the prison camp — and the former detainees who carry its scars with them.

By Siddhartha Mitter