Criminal Actors

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

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Lagartos

ECUADOR / 1 JUN 2021

Integrated by multiple gangs with shared allies and enemies, Los Lagartos is one of Ecuador’s prolific prison gangs, whose rivalry…

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.

Bagdad

BAGDAD / 2021-05-05

Bagdad, along with its rival Calor Calor, is one of Panama’s two main gang federations, consisting of 30-40 smaller gangs…

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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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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