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Criminal Actors
Histories and profiles of organized crime groups, insurgencies, street gangs, vigilantes and the criminal actors that lead them.
Izabal, Guatemala
GEOGRAPHIC PROFILES /
22 JAN 2021
Izabal is one of the most important transit hubs for cocaine being smuggled from Honduras into Guatemala by land, as…
Zacapa, Guatemala
GEOGRAPHIC PROFILES /
22 JAN 2021
In the department of Zacapa, long a transit point for cocaine and marijuana bound for Mexico and the US, drug…
Jutiapa, Guatemala
GEOGRAPHIC PROFILES /
22 JAN 2021
Jutiapa is a transit point for narcotics shipments and a hotspot for illegal firearm possession. Criminal groups smuggle illicit weapons…
Border Security Colectivo
VENEZUELA GROUPS /
SEPTEMBER 22, 2021
The Border Security Colectivo (Colectivo de Seguridad Fronteriza – CSF) is a state-supported irregular militia group based in the Colombian…
Cartel of the Suns
CARTEL OF THE SUNS /
MAY 14, 2022
The “Cartel of the Suns” (Cartel de los Soles) is the term used to describe the shadowy groups inside Venezuela’s…
Wilexis Alexander Acevedo Monasterios, alias 'Wilexis'
VENEZUELA /
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 /
8 JAN 2021
For decades, the Meleán crime family was one of the most powerful criminal groups in Venezuela. Established by Antonio Jesús…
Fuerza Anti-Unión
MEXICO GROUPS /
2020-11-13
La Fuerza Anti-Unión, which battles La Union Tepito for territories in Mexico City, has grown rapidly.
La Unión Tepito
LA UNIÓN TEPITO /
MAY 9, 2022
La Unión Tepito takes its name from the notorious Mexico City neighborhood of Tepito, where it began.
El Salvador Profile
EL SALVADOR /
15 SEP 2020
El Salvador is a relatively small but growing player in the drug trafficking business. It serves as…
Rotela Clan
CLAN ROTELA /
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 /
JULY 5, 2022
The Second Marquetalia is one of the largest group of dissident FARC, who rejected the 2016 peace process with the…
Latest
Record Cocaine Seizures in Colombia as Government Negotiates with Traffickers
COCAINE /
3 FEB 2023
Colombia's negotiations with a range of criminal groups, as part of the Total Peace plan, will be complicated by record cocaine seizures.
Latin America Makes Little Progress Against Corruption
COSTA RICA /
2 FEB 2023
Countries across Latin America continue to make stubbornly little progress in the fight against corruption.
Sticks and Carrots: Lula's Balancing Act in Brazil's Crime-Wracked Amazon
BRAZIL /
1 FEB 2023
Brazil's president Lula is acting quickly to kick out illegal miners and loggers from the Amazon. But the right economic solutions are needed.
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