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Criminal Actors
Histories and profiles of organized crime groups, insurgencies, street gangs, vigilantes and the criminal actors that lead them.
José Adán Salazar Umaña, alias 'Chepe Diablo'
CHEPE DIABLO
/
MAY 26, 2021
José Adán Salazar Umaña, alias "Chepe Diablo," does not fit the normal profile of a criminal leader. As the former…
Cárteles Unidos
MEXICO
/
JULY 18, 2022
The Cárteles Unidos was formed by the Cartel de Tepalcatepec, the Viagras, and others, to combat the Jalisco Cartel in…
Shining Path
PERU
/
23 MAY 2021
The Shining Path or the Militarized Communist Party (Militarizado Partido Comunista - MPC) is the last remnant of Peru’s guerrilla…
Sinaloa Cartel
MEXICO GROUPS
/
2021-05-04
The Sinaloa Cartel is often described as the largest and most powerful drug trafficking organization in the Western Hemisphere.
Libertadores del Vichada
COLOMBIA
/
23 ABRIL DE 2021
The Libertadores del Vichada are a splinter group of the Popular Revolutionary Anti-Terrorist Army of Colombia.
Colombia Profile
COLOMBIA
/
2021-01-21
While Colombia's situation has improved since the FARC demobilized, it faces significant challenges from a more fragmented organized crime landscape.
Carlos Luis Revete, alias 'El Koki'
EL KOKI
/
FEBRUARY 8, 2022
Carlos Luis Revette, alias “El Koki,” is one of Venezuela’s most wanted criminals and leader of the “megabanda" that controls…
EPL
COLOMBIA GROUPS
/
JULY 15, 2022
The EPL, also called the Pelusos, were once a major criminal threat in Colombia but have faded in recent years…
Santa Ana, El Salvador
GEOGRAPHIC PROFILES
/
22 MAR 2021
Santa Ana is a key transit point for criminal groups smuggling cocaine and marijuana between El Salvador and Guatemala. It…
La Unión, El Salvador
GEOGRAPHIC PROFILES
/
22 MAR 2021
La Unión’s two ports and its Pacific coastline are routinely used by cocaine smugglers moving drugs north in boats and…
Latest
Guatemala Elites Flex Muscle, Excluding Leading Presidential Contender
ELITES AND CRIME
/
26 MAY 2023
Carlos Pineda, the leading candidate in Guatemala's presidential elections, has been removed from the race on a technicality.
Brazil's PCC Complicates Fight Against Illegal Mining in Amazon
BRAZIL
/
26 MAY 2023
The PCC appears to be providing support to illegal miners in the Yanomami territory in Brazil's northern state of Roraima.
How Common Experiences Help Mexican Gangs Find New Recruits
MEXICO
/
25 MAY 2023
A new study shows how gang recruiters in Mexico target young men who have been exposed to crime at a young age.
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