All About Colombia Mafia

COLOMBIA

Walter Patricio Arizala, alias “Guacho”

COLOMBIA / 18 JAN 2019

Walter Patricio Arizala, alias “Guacho,” was one of the most wanted criminals in both Colombia and Ecuador, after military forces made him a priority target. Guacho led the dissident members…

Inside the Mafia-Run Cocaine Network Shattered by European Police

COCAINE / 17 DEC 2018

In early December, authorities dramatically curtailed the power of the Pelle-Vottari clan -  a grouping within the formidable ‘Ndrangheta mafia — arresting Domenico Pelle along with 89 others associated with…

Attacks on Multinationals in Colombia: Signs of New Criminal Era

COLOMBIA / 3 OCT 2018

A series of attacks on multinational companies operating in Colombia could indicate that armed groups are shedding discipline for increased criminal gains, in a new era of organized crime in…

In Latest Blow to Urabeños, Colombia Government Takes Down ‘El Indio’

COLOMBIA / 30 MAR 2018

With the death of “El Indio,” the Urabeños’ third-in-command, Colombian security forces have dealt another blow to the most powerful drug trafficking organization in the country, a sign that authorities…

The Colombian Mafia

COLOMBIA / 13 MAR 2018

The mafia in Colombia today is comprised of a maelstrom of localized groups, shadowy power brokers and sub-contracted labor that combine to bring order to the underworld chaos and make…

Spain Arrests Alleged Colombia Drug Kingpin Hiding in the Limelight

COLOMBIA / 12 MAR 2018

Authorities in Spain have arrested a Colombian with celebrity connections on accusations that he used his jet-set lifestyle as cover for his role as the leader of an international drug…

José Bayron Piedrahita Ceballos, alias ‘El Árabe,’ or the ‘Patron de Caucasia’

COLOMBIA MAFIA / MAY 10, 2019

José Bayron Piedrahita Ceballos is presumed to be one of the biggest drug lords in Colombia. During his criminal career spanning more than 20 years, Piedrahita managed to stay out…

EPL

COLOMBIA GROUPS / 2021-01-21

The dissidence of the EPL, which the Security Forces call Los Peludos, is the dissidence of the guerrilla group Popular Liberation Army they are considered an armed organized group exclusively…

Shifting Criminal Dynamics Signal Violent Future for Colombia-Venezuela Border

COLECTIVOS / 29 JAN 2018

Venezuela’s continued spiral into economic, political and social crisis and the demobilization of Colombia’s largest guerrilla group have shifted criminal dynamics on the Colombia-Venezuela border, transforming the region into…

GameChangers 2017: Is Colombia’s FARC Really Gone?

COLOMBIA / 16 JAN 2018

Has Colombia's FARC really left the country's criminal scene? Yes, and absolutely not. The rebel army is gone, and has become a political party. The FARC Mafia is just coming…

Óscar Mauricio Pachón, alias ‘Puntilla’

COLOMBIA / DECEMBER 7, 2018

Óscar Mauricio Pachón, alias “Puntilla,” is a drug trafficker who controlled a criminal network descended from paramilitaries in Colombia’s strategic Eastern Plains region. He was arrested in February 2016 but…

Urabeños

COLOMBIA MAFIA / 6 JAN 2013

The Urabeños emerged from the ashes of Colombia’s paramilitary movement to become the dominant criminal force in Colombia, with a reach that spread all across the country.

Dairo Antonio Úsuga, alias ‘Otoniel’

COLOMBIA MAFIA / MARCH 14, 2018

Dairo Antonio Úsuga, alias “Otoniel,” is the head of Colombia’s most powerful criminal group, the Urabeños, and the country’s most wanted man. But his grip on power is slipping as…

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12 FEB 2021

InSight Crime is looking for a full-time strategic communications manager. This person needs to be able to work in a fast-paced world of daily news, high-profile investigations, national and international…

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InSight Crime Events – Border Crime: The Northern Triangle and Tri-Border Area

ARGENTINA / 25 JAN 2021

Through several rounds of extensive field investigations, our researchers have analyzed and mapped out the main illicit economies and criminal groups present in 39 border departments spread across the six countries of study – the Northern Triangle trio of Guatemala, Honduras, and El…

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InSight Crime’s ‘Memo Fantasma’ Investigation Wins Simón Bolívar National Journalism Prize

COLOMBIA / 20 NOV 2020

The staff at InSight Crime was awarded the prestigious Simón Bolívar national journalism prize in Colombia for its two-year investigation into the drug trafficker known as “Memo Fantasma,” which was…

ANALYSIS

InSight Crime – From Uncovering Organized Crime to Finding What Works

COLOMBIA / 12 NOV 2020

This project began 10 years ago as an effort to address a problem: the lack of daily coverage, investigative stories and analysis of organized crime in the Americas. …