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Criminal Actors
Histories and profiles of organized crime groups, insurgencies, street gangs, vigilantes and the criminal actors that lead them.
Wilexis Alexander Acevedo Monasterios, alias 'Wilexis'
VENEZUELA PERSONALITIES
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NOVEMBER 3, 2021
Wilexis Alexander Acevedo Monasterios has led the gang which bears his name since at least 2017. With between 150 and…
The Meleán
VENEZUELA GROUPS
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8 JAN 2021
For more than 40 years, the Meleán gang has ranked among the leading criminal groups within the criminal landscape of…
Fuerza Anti-Unión
MEXICO GROUPS
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2020-11-13
La Fuerza Anti-Unión (FAU) is a criminal organization that has grown rapidly since its inception as a vigilante group.
La Unión Tepito
LA UNIÓN TEPITO
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MAY 9, 2022
La Unión Tepito is a large criminal group indigenous to Mexico City, named after one of the capital’s largest neighborhoods.
El Salvador Profile
EL SALVADOR
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15 SEP 2020
El Salvador is a relatively small but growing player in the drug trafficking business. It serves as…
Rotela Clan
CLAN ROTELA
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AUGUST 23, 2020
Rotela Clan is a criminal group run by the Rotela family in Paraguay. It was originally specialized in the microtrafficking…
Second Marquetalia
COLOMBIA GROUPS
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JANUARY 27, 2022
The Segunda Marquetalia is a group made up of guerrillas, who once belonged to the FARC, but who refused to…
Ricardo Abel Ayala Ortega, alias 'Cabuyo'
COLOMBIA PERSONALITIES
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APRIL 23, 2021
Ricardo Abel Ayala Ortega, alias "Cabuyo," is currently one of Colombia's highest value military targets and operates mainly in the…
Chapitos
MEXICO PERSONALITIES
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MARCH 8, 2022
The now-jailed former Sinaloa Cartel leader Joaquín Guzmán Loera, alias “El Chapo,” had many sons, but only a select few…
Juan Antonio 'Tony' Hernández Alvarado
HONDURAS
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SEPTEMBER 3, 2020
Juan Antonio “Tony” Hernández Alvarado is a former Honduran congressman, the brother of former Honduras President Juan Orlando Hernández and…
Tren de Aragua
TREN DE ARAGUA
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OCTOBER 21, 2021
The Tren de Aragua is Venezuela’s most powerful local "megabanda," or large criminal gangs with more than 100 members. This…
Luis Agustin Caicedo Velandia, alias 'Don Lucho'
COLOMBIA PERSONALITIES
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JULY 16, 2021
For some two decades, Luis Agustin Caicedo Velandia, alias “Don Lucho,” is alleged to have played a significant role in…
Latest
Controversial Attorney General Outlasts Guatemala's Anti-Corruption Efforts
ELITES AND CRIME
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18 MAY 2022
Guatemala has reappointed Attorney General Consuelo Porras for a second term despite her track record as a shield for top Guatemalan elites against anti-corruption investigations. Her nomination marks a disheartening…
The Jalisco Cartel's Quiet Expansion in Guatemala
COCAINE
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18 MAY 2022
Early investigations indicate the CJNG is striking partnerships with drug rings in Guatemala that receive shipments of cocaine from Colombia and Venezuela and deliver them to the cartel.
Crafty Trafficking - How Cocaine is Flowing Between LatAm and Australia
COCAINE
/
17 MAY 2022
Cocaine found on Australia’s Eastern coast has perplexed authorities due to the sophisticated methods apparently used to smuggle it from South America.
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