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Criminal Actors
Histories and profiles of organized crime groups, insurgencies, street gangs, vigilantes and the criminal actors that lead them.
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
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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
/
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…
Ricardo Abel Ayala Orrego, alias 'Cabuyo'
COLOMBIA PERSONALITIES
/
APRIL 23, 2021
Ricardo Abel Ayala Ortega, alias "Cabuyo," is currently one of Colombia's highest value military targets and operates mainly in the…
Juan Antonio 'Tony' Hernández Alvarado
HONDURAS
/
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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FEBRUARY 14, 2023
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
/
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 former leader of the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel (CSRL).
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.
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 criminal gang, the First Capital Command…
Latest
Cocaine Seizures Spike in Sweden as Traffickers Seek Secondary Routes
COCAINE
/
8 JUN 2023
Historic cocaine seizures in Sweden highlight the Nordic country's increasing role as a gateway for cocaine from Latin America to Europe.
How Grenades Became a Common Part of Venezuela's Criminal Arsenal
ARMS TRAFFICKING
/
7 JUN 2023
In all of Latin America, Venezuela has a unique problem: constant grenade attacks by criminal gangs.
3 Takeaways From UNICEF Report on Child Recruitment in Colombia
COLOMBIA
/
6 JUN 2023
A new study has outlined how the ethnicity and socio-economic background of children are key factors in their forced recruitment in Colombia.
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