Criminal Actors

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

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Cachiros

HONDURAS GROUPS / 12 SEP 2017

The Cachiros were one of Honduras' largest transport groups, with a net worth close to $1 billion. Made up of…

Perrones Cartel

EL SALVADOR GROUPS / 11 SEP 2017

The Perrones are El Salvador's most infamous transportation group. Made up of a mix of hoteliers, human smugglers, and contraband…

Texis Cartel

EL SALVADOR GROUPS / 11 SEP 2017

Unlike some Central American gangs that have earned fame for their brutality and their liberal use of violence, the Cartel…

MS13

EL SALVADOR GROUPS / 11 SEP 2017

The Mara Salvatrucha, or MS13, is perhaps the most notorious street gang in the Western Hemisphere. While it has its…

FARC

COLOMBIA GROUPS / 6 SEP 2017

ELN

COLOMBIA GROUPS / 6 SEP 2017

The National Liberation Army (Ejército de Liberación Nacional - ELN) is one of the two main guerrilla armies with left-wing…

AUC

COLOMBIA GROUPS / 6 SEP 2017

Latest

Colombia's Peace Process Stumbles as Gaitanista Ceasefire Ends

COLOMBIA / 24 MAR 2023

The end of a ceasefire with Colombia's largest criminal group, the AGC, is a serious body blow to hopes for peace.

Dominican Republic Corruption Investigation Inches Toward Ex-President

CARIBBEAN / 23 MAR 2023

High-ranking officials from the former government of President Danilo Medina in the Dominican Republic continue to fall.

‘Mula’: The Bridge Between MS13 and Mexican Mafia in Tijuana, Mexico

CRIMINAL MIGRATION / 23 MAR 2023

Nelson Alexander Flores Pacheco, alias "Mula", was the liaison between the Mexican Mafia and the MS13 in Tijuana, Mexico.

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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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