Criminal Actors

Histories and profiles of organized crime groups, insurgencies, street gangs, vigilantes and the criminal actors that lead them.

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Seuxis Pausías Hernández, alias 'Jesús Santrich'

COLOMBIA PERSONALITIES / MAY 18, 2021

Seuxis Pausías Hernández Solarte, alias “Jesús Santrich,” was a senior former FARC commander who participated in that guerrilla group's demobilization…

Hernán Darío Velásquez Saldarriaga, alias 'El Paisa'

COLOMBIA / DECEMBER 9, 2021

Hernán Darío Velásquez, alias "El Paisa," was a top former leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.

Caparros

AUC / AUGUST 27, 2022

Los Caparrapos is a Colombia criminal group linked to drug trafficking, with a strong presence in Antioquia and Córdoba…

Walter Patricio Arizala, alias “Guacho”

COLOMBIA / JANUARY 18, 2019

Walter Patricio Arizala, alias “Guacho,” was one of the most wanted criminals in both Colombia and Ecuador, after military forces…

Jalisco Cartel New Generation (CJNG)

JALISCO CARTEL / 11 DEC 2018

The CJNG is a criminal group that has evolved as a result of killings, captures and rifts in older cartels.

Marcos Willians Herbas Camacho, alias ‘Marcola’

BRAZIL / JULY 18, 2022

Marcos Willians Herbas Camacho, alias "Marcola," has been the top leader of the First Capital Command (Primeiro Comando da Capital…

Argentina Profile

Despite Argentina's prominent role as a money laundering center and as a drug transit and consumption point, the country does…

Amigos dos Amigos

AMIGOS DOS AMIGOS / MARCH 30, 2018

Amigos dos Amigos is a criminal group based in Brazil’s second-largest city, Rio de Janeiro.

The Colombian Mafia

COLOMBIA / 13 MAR 2018

The Colombian mafia comprises networks of localized and shadowy groups and figures involved in illicit economies.

Colombia’s Comprehensive Approach for a Post-FARC State

COLOMBIA / 9 MAR 2018

The demobilization of the FARC has simultaneously represented a significant challenge and a singular opportunity for the Colombian government.

José Bayron Piedrahita Ceballos, alias 'El Árabe,' or the 'Patron de Caucasia'

COLOMBIA MAFIA / MAY 10, 2019

José Bayron Piedrahita Ceballos is presumed to be one of the biggest drug lords in Colombia. During his criminal career…

Miguel Botache Santillana, alias 'Gentil Duarte'

COLOMBIA PERSONALITIES / MAY 26, 2022

Miguel Botache Santillana, better known as "Gentil Duarte," was Colombia's most wanted criminal until his death in May 2022.

Latest

El Salvador Police Reports Contradict Bukele's Triumphalism

BARRIO 18 / 22 SEP 2023

Confidential police reports reveal that the three main gangs operating in El Salvador remain a real threat.

How El Salvador’s Police Creates, Uses Its Gang Database

BARRIO 18 / 22 SEP 2023

A close look at El Salvador's Police Information System, which is used to collect and analyze information on criminals in the country.

Venezuelan Military ‘Invades’ Notorious Prison

PRISONS / 20 SEP 2023

In a clear show of force, the Venezuelan state launched an unprecedented operation, surrounding the Tocorón prison in Aragua.

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A country-by-country breakdown of the news as well as key criminal groups and players across Latin America and the Caribbean.

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