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Criminal Actors
Histories and profiles of organized crime groups, insurgencies, street gangs, vigilantes and the criminal actors that lead them.
Gilberto Rodríguez Orejuela, alias 'The Chess Player'
COLOMBIA PERSONALITIES
/
JUNE 15, 2022
Colombian kingpin, Gilberto Rodríguez Orejuela, alias “The Chess Player,” was one of the leaders of the Cali Cartel.
Jobanis de Jesús Ávila Villadiego, alias ‘Chiquito Malo’
COLOMBIA
/
JUNE 17, 2022
Jobanis de Jesús Ávila Villadiego, alias "Chiquito Malo," is the current commander of the Urabeños.
Juan Orlando Hernández
HONDURAS
/
20 APR 2022
Juan Orlando Hernández, Honduras’ former president, is facing trial on US drug charges after allegations that he received bribes to…
400 Mawozo
CARIBBEAN
/
MARCH 23, 2022
The 400 Mawozo (400 Lame Men) gang is currently the largest active criminal group in Haiti. Led by Joseph Wilson,…
10th Front - Ex-FARC Mafia
COLOMBIA GROUPS
/
18 JAN 2022
The 10th Front, also known as the Martín Villa Front, is one of the most active elements of the ex-FARC…
The Capture of Otoniel
27 OCT 2021
Otoniel was the most wanted drug trafficker in Colombia, with a $5 million bounty on his head. InSight Crime explores…
Ariel Máximo Cantero, alias 'Guille'
ARGENTINA
/
OCTOBER 1, 2021
Ariel Máximo Cantero, alias “Guille,” is the leader of Argentina's Monos crime family. While he is facing decades behind bars,…
Pablo Escobar
AUC
/
30 AUG 2021
Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria was the pioneer in industrial-scale cocaine trafficking.
Jimmy Chérizier, alias 'Barbecue'
CARIBBEAN
/
OCTOBER 21, 2021
Former police officer Jimmy Chérizier, alias "Barbecue," is one of Haiti’s most prolific gang leaders.
Bala na Cara
BRAZIL
/
JULY 27, 2021
Bala na Cara (BNC) is a prominent criminal group in Brazil's southern state of Rio Grande do Sul.
Border Command
COLOMBIA
/
JUNE 11, 2022
Los Comandos de la Frontera, or the Border Command, formerly known as La Mafia, is a group made up of…
Latest
How Peru's Coca Production is Helping the Global Cocaine Boom
COCA
/
27 SEP 2022
Increased coca cultivation in Peru provides the raw ingredient cocaine traffickers use when pushing into developing markets like Australia.
France Dealing with Influx of Cocaine from Caribbean Territories
CARIBBEAN
/
26 SEP 2022
The cocaine coming from France's territories of Guadeloupe, Martinique, and French Guiana to its mainland have doubled.
Latin American Leaders Voice Security Concerns At United Nations General Assembly
BOLIVIA
/
23 SEP 2022
As world leaders met for the United Nations General Assembly, Latin American presidents expressed various concerns about organized crime.
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