All About EPL

COLOMBIA

EPL

COLOMBIA GROUPS / 23 APR 2021

The EPL, also called the Pelusos, were once a major criminal threat in Colombia but have faded in recent years after losing key territory.

COLOMBIA / 19 APR 2021

Colombia has downgraded the threat level of one of the country's oldest criminal groups, which means fewer resources and troops will go toward fighting it.

COLOMBIA / 8 APR 2021

Children serve in a wide range of roles in criminal organizations: errand boy, landmine builder, frontline combatant and assassin. In this, the second of a three-part investigation by InSight Crime…

COLOMBIA / 22 MAY 2020

A top EPL guerrilla commander in Colombia was killed on order of its high command for treason -- an act likely to further inflame infighting among the group’s increasingly desperate…

COLOMBIA / 19 MAY 2020

The Colombian government's latest offer of legal benefits to individuals of armed groups who surrender and face justice was met with skepticism, especially since it came amid the coronavirus lockdown.

COCAINE / 4 DEC 2019

A Venezuelan island in the Caribbean that is a popular tourist destination was used by a Colombian trafficker to move drugs to the United States and Europe, in another example…

COLOMBIA / 23 OCT 2019

A recent report has shown the scale to which forced displacements due to violence are increasing in Colombia, primarily affecting vulnerable groups like Afro-Colombians and indigenous communities.

COLOMBIA / 1 OCT 2019

The killing of the leader of the EPL’s political and military wings by the Colombian army comes at a critical time for the criminal group, as it finds itself bitterly…

ELN / 24 SEP 2019

A recent split within the EPL guerrilla force has left it weakened and allowed its rival, the ELN, to gain an advantage in Norte de Santander, a Colombian department on…

COLOMBIA / 19 AUG 2019

A new report by Human Rights Watch on violence in the department of Norte de Santander, Colombia, shows how vulnerable Venezuelan migrants are to the criminal groups that dominate the…

COLOMBIA / 6 MAY 2019

A recent shootout at the main border crossing between Colombia and Venezuela and the killing of five people in another Venezuelan frontier town shows that clashes between criminal groups over…

COLOMBIA / 22 JAN 2019

The killing of four people in Jamundí, Valle del Cauca, may have been the EPL’s way of announcing its entrance to one of Colombia’s strategic drug corridors: El Naya.

COLOMBIA / 2 AUG 2018

A recent massacre that left eight people dead near the Colombia-Venezuela border shows how much the conflict has intensified between two armed groups battling for control of the drug trade…

About InSight Crime

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All Eyes on Ecuador

2 JUN 2023

Our coverage of organized crime in Ecuador continues to be a valuable resource for international and local news outlets. Internationally, Reuters cited our 2022 Homicide Round-Up,…

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Open Position: Social Media and Engagement Strategist

27 MAY 2023

InSight Crime is looking for a Social Media and Engagement Strategist who will be focused on maintaining and improving InSight Crime’s reputation and interaction with its audiences through publishing activities…

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Venezuela Coverage Receives Great Reception

27 MAY 2023

Several of InSight Crime’s most recent articles about Venezuela have been well received by regional media. Our article on Venezuela’s colectivos expanding beyond their political role to control access to…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime's Chemical Precursor Report Continues

19 MAY 2023

For the second week in a row, our investigation into the flow of precursor chemicals for the manufacture of synthetic drugs in Mexico has been cited by multiple regional media…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime’s Chemical Precursor Report Widely Cited

THE ORGANIZATION / 12 MAY 2023

We are proud to see that our recently published investigation into the supply chain of chemical precursors feeding Mexico’s synthetic drug production has been warmly received.