Criminal Actors
Histories and profiles of organized crime groups, insurgencies, street gangs, vigilantes and the criminal actors that lead them.
Juarez Cartel
The Juárez Cartel is responsible for smuggling tons of narcotics from Mexico into the United States throughout its long and turbulent…
Tijuana Cartel
The Tijuana Cartel, also known as the Arellano Felix Organization, is based in one of the most strategically important Mexico…
Gulf Cartel
The Gulf Cartel is one of the oldest and most powerful of Mexicos criminal groups but has lost territory and influence in…
Sinaloa Cartel
The Sinaloa Cartel, often described as the largest and most powerful drug trafficking organization in the Western Hemisphere, is an…
Familia Michoacana
At the height of its power, the Familia Michoacanas brutal tactics, strong base of operations and pseudo-religious ideology made it…
Cachiros
The Cachiros were one of Honduras’ largest transport groups, with a net worth close to $1 billion. Made up of…
Perrones Cartel
The Perrones are El Salvador’s most infamous transportation group. Made up of a mix of hoteliers, human smugglers, and contraband…
Texis Cartel
Unlike some Central American gangs that have earned fame for their brutality and their liberal use of violence, the Cartel…
MS13
The Mara Salvatrucha, or MS13, is perhaps the most notorious street gang in the Western Hemisphere. While it has its…
Latest News
LatAm Crime Groups Set Sights on Europe’s Bustling Cocaine Market
With higher profits and lower risks than the United States, Europe has emerged recently as arguably the most important cocaine market in the world.
Colectivos Ramp Up Property Seizures in Venezuela
An increase in the number of reports of illegal invasions of homes and commercial establishments in Venezuela during the pandemic has revealed the ever-widening criminal portfolio managed by militant civilian…
French Guiana’s Unpatrolled Waters Lure Illegal Fishing Crews
Illegal fishing off the coast of French Guiana surged amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as French maritime patrols struggled to mobilize resources, luring illegal fishing crews to the country's pristine waters.
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