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Criminal Actors
Histories and profiles of organized crime groups, insurgencies, street gangs, vigilantes and the criminal actors that lead them.
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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MAY 18, 2021
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…
Los Chapitos
MEXICO PERSONALITIES
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SEPTEMBER 21, 2021
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 the current president of Honduras and a…
Tren de Aragua
TREN DE ARAGUA
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JULY 18, 2020
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…
José Antonio Yépez Ortiz, alias 'El Marro'
MEXICO PERSONALITIES
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AUGUST 3, 2020
José Antonio Yépez Ortiz, alias “El Marro,” is the leader of the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel (CSRL) and one…
Marcelo Fernando Pinheiro Veiga, alias “Piloto”
BRAZIL PERSONALITIES
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APRIL 13, 2020
Marcelo “Piloto” Pinheiro was considered one of the Brazilian government’s most sought-after drug traffickers until 2017. He is believed to…
Gilberto Aparecido Dos Santos, alias 'Fuminho'
BRAZIL PERSONALITIES
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APRIL 13, 2020
Gilberto Aparecido Dos Santos, alias “Fuminho,” is one of the leaders of Brazil’s largest and most powerful criminal organization, the…
Family of the North - FDN
BRAZIL GROUPS
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MARCH 5, 2020
Family of the North (Familia do Norte - FDN) has long been Brazil’s third-largest criminal group, with a strong presence…
Ex-FARC Mafia
COLOMBIA GROUPS
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6 MAR 2020
The ex-FARC Mafia are a series of criminal structures that emerged during the peace negotiations between the Colombian government and…
Latest
El Salvador's Bitcoin Bonuses Bilked by Hackers
CYBERCRIME
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20 OCT 2021
A month after El Salvador’s government introduced Bitcoin as a national currency, an illegal corner of the new economy has emerged: the widespread theft of the $30 deposits used as…
Alleged Money Launderer Álex Saab Facing US Justice Triggers Fallout from Venezuela
ELITES AND CRIME
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19 OCT 2021
Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro's aggressive reaction to the extradition of accused money launderer and ally Álex Saab – who appeared for the first time before a US judge to face…
Haiti Kidnappings Target Foreigners in Evolution of Security Crisis
HAITI
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18 OCT 2021
The abduction of 17 American and Canadian citizens in Haiti will bring a new level of attention to the country’s out-of-control kidnapping crisis but is unlikely to lead to new…
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