All About Cartel of the Suns

CARTEL OF THE SUNS / 18 JAN 2020

Venezuela remained mired in crisis throughout 2019, yet Nicolás Maduro actually consolidated his regime. How did he do it?…

CARTEL OF THE SUNS / 20 SEP 2019

New evidence suggests that late Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez allied with the FARC to “flood” the United States with cocaine, potentially explaining his expulsion of the DEA from the country.

CARTEL OF THE SUNS / 17 JUL 2019

President Nicolás Maduro has announced changes to Venezuela’s highest military positions, in a series of appointments that reward longstanding loyalty but also promote figures with records of criminal complicity and…

CARTEL OF THE SUNS / JANUARY 15, 2023

Samark López Bello is a Venezuelan businessman and currently a fugitive from American justice facing charges of laundering drug money.

CARTEL OF THE SUNS / 8 JUL 2019

For the second time in six months, a former head of Venezuela’s military intelligence service has made major revelations about the links between President Nicolás Maduro’s administration and organized crime.

CARTEL OF THE SUNS / 8 MAY 2019

Venezuela's social conflict and violence may be even more complicated a week after the failed military uprising led by Juan Guaidó. This continued descent into state-sponsored anarchy has only favored…

CARTEL OF THE SUNS / 14 MAR 2019

The United States has charged Tareck El Aissami, one of the most powerful men in Venezuela, and five of his collaborators for violating sanctions imposed in 2017 for alleged drug…

CARTEL OF THE SUNS / 1 MAR 2019

Reports from Venezuela are shocking the world with images of “colectivos,” police and military using excessive force -- even opening fire -- on unarmed civilians attempting to bring humanitarian aid…

CARTEL OF THE SUNS / 28 FEB 2019

Is it just me or does Nicolas Maduro look a lot like Saddam Hussein? After US intervention in Iraq, we saw a nation that descended into civil war, mass displacement…

CARTEL OF THE SUNS / 25 FEB 2019

The former head of Venezuela’s military intelligence service has revealed some key details that confirm longstanding links between several officials in the regime of President Nicolás Maduro with organized crime…

CARTEL OF THE SUNS / 11 JAN 2019

The swearing in of Nicolás Maduro for a second presidential term demonstrates just how deeply entrenched organized crime structures are in Venezuela’s government, having helped to sustain a regime marked…

CARTEL OF THE SUNS / 13 SEP 2018

Venezuela has become a regional crime hub, with profound consequences for Latin America and beyond. And with another Nicolás Maduro term, the roots of organized crime in that country will spread further.

About InSight Crime

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Venezuela Coverage Continues to be Highlighted

3 MAR 2023

This week, InSight Crime co-director Jeremy McDermott was the featured guest on the Americas Quarterly podcast, where he provided an expert overview of the changing dynamics…

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela's Organized Crime Top 10 Attracts Attention

24 FEB 2023

Last week, InSight Crime published its ranking of Venezuela’s ten organized crime groups to accompany the launch of the Venezuela Organized Crime Observatory. Read…

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InSight Crime on El País Podcast

10 FEB 2023

This week, InSight Crime co-founder, Jeremy McDermott, was among experts featured in an El País podcast on the progress of Colombia’s nascent peace process.

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime Interviewed by Associated Press

3 FEB 2023

This week, InSight Crime’s Co-director Jeremy McDermott was interviewed by the Associated Press on developments in Haiti as the country continues its prolonged collapse. McDermott’s words were republished around the world,…

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Escaping Barrio 18

27 JAN 2023

Last week, InSight Crime published an investigation charting the story of Desafío, a 28-year-old Barrio 18 gang member who is desperate to escape gang life. But there’s one problem: he’s…