The Gaitanistas, also known as the Gulf Clan, Urabeños, and Gaitanist Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (Autodefensas Gaitanistas de Colombia – AGC), emerged from the ashes of Colombia’s paramilitary movement to become the dominant criminal force in Colombia.
Colombia's flourishing illegal gold mining business requires explosives, many of which are sourced illicitly. This essential yet overlooked trade has opened the door for powerful criminal bosses to forge a…
The Gulf of Urabá boasts 323 kilometers of porous, thick, and deep coast dominated by the whim of the so-called Gaitanista Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, also known as the Urabeños;…
A recent series of deadly attacks against police in Colombia attributed to the Urabeños hasn't stopped authorities from trumpeting their successes against the criminal group, despite evidence of the Urabeños'…
A former associate of Pablo Escobar was killed in Colombia's second-largest city, leading to speculation that he continued to traffic drugs long after the fall of the Medellín Cartel.
A former FARC guerrilla has been murdered in Colombia's embattled southwest department of Nariño, a reminder of the political and criminal risks faced by the former combatants as they demobilize…
Authorities in Colombia seized a multi-ton cocaine shipment belonging to Colombia's most powerful crime group, showing that despite divisions within its leadership, the criminal organization remains a major force in…
Authorities arrested a former leader of a now dissolved Colombian drug trafficking organization, a sign that the group's legacy in the country's underworld lives on. …
The ELN has denied responsibility for the killing of five civilians in the Colombian department of Chocó. The latest violence shows the zone's valuable strategic position and highly lucrative criminal economies…
Colombian guerrillas allegedly held an illegal political meeting in the country's southwest, while authorities dismantled a local corruption ring, highlighting issues that will continue to plague the region in the…
Information has surfaced on apparent frictions at the heart at one of the Western Hemisphere's most powerful drug trafficking organizations. But while its leaders may be divided, this group continues…
Recent reports warn that one of Colombia's biggest criminal groups may be recruiting dissident guerrilla fighters, another indication that new actors are moving in on criminal operations formerly controlled by…
A new analysis of 15 years of homicide statistics in Colombia's most violent city, Cali, highlights the direct correlation between underworld evolutions and violence in the country.
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…
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…
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.
InSight Crime looked at the various anti-organized crime policies proposed by the candidates in Paraguay’s presidential election, which was won on April 30 by Santiago Peña. Our pre-election coverage was cited…
This week, InSight Crime’s work was cited nine times in a new report by the Organization of American States (OAS) titled “The Impact of Organized Crime on Women,…
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