All About Memo Fantasma

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The Invisible Drug Lord: Hunting 'The Ghost'

COLOMBIA / 29 MAR 2020

Drug traffickers today realize that their best protection is not a private army but anonymity. This is the story of “Memo Fantasma” or “Will the Ghost,” who started life in the Medellín Cartel, funded the bloody rise of a paramilitary army, and today lives the high life in Madrid.

Memo Fantasma's Wife Faces Potential Money Laundering Charges

COLOMBIA / 26 MAY 2022

Prosecutors in Colombia held a hearing with the partner of alleged drug trafficker Guillermo León Acevedo, alias "Memo Fantasma," on possible money laundering charges, making her the third family member…

Memo Fantasma Faces Up to 40 Years as Lawyer Also Investigated

AUC / 11 MAR 2022

Alleged drug trafficker alias "Memo Fantasma" or "Will the Ghost," was formally charged during a March 9 virtual audience, of money laundering and criminal conspiracy. His lawyer also appears to…

'Invisible' Drug Trafficker Joins Forces with Former Enemies in Colombia

AUC / 17 FEB 2022

An "invisible" Colombian drug lord whose criminal history dates to the country's former paramilitary army has been revealed to have set up drug routes with dissident guerrilla fighters, showing how…

Colombian Prosecutors Dismiss Memo Fantasma Libel Case Against InSight Crime Director

COLOMBIA / 14 DEC 2021

Prosecutors in Colombia have dismissed a criminal libel case filed by accused paramilitary drug lord Guillermo León Acevedo Giraldo, alias “Memo Fantasma,” against InSight Crime Co-director Jeremy McDermott, arguing that…

Tracking Dirty Money and Tren de Aragua

MEMO FANTASMA / 29 OCT 2021

InSight Crime was delighted to support investigative reporting in the Americas through a workshop with our friends at Connectas, a non-profit journalism initiative that facilitates collaboration…

Judge Rules Memo Fantasma Will Remain in Colombia Prison

AUC / 28 OCT 2021

Accused paramilitary drug lord Guillermo León Acevedo, alias "Memo Fantasma," will remain in a high-security Colombian prison, where he has been jailed for the past four months. Acevedo's lawyers…

Top Colombian Paramilitary Commander Testifies About Memo Fantasma

AUC / 27 OCT 2021

New documents in the case against accused paramilitary drug lord Guillermo León Acevedo, alias “Memo Fantasma,” reveal that former top Colombian paramilitary commander Salvatore Mancuso spoke to prosecutors about him,…

Memo Fantasma Wants Out of Prison in Colombia

COCAINE / 29 SEP 2021

Accused paramilitary drug lord “Memo Fantasma,” or “Will the Ghost,” has petitioned a judge to be let out of a Colombian prison while he awaits trial. Worth millions of dollars…

Memo Fantasma Properties in Colombia Used to Compensate Victims of Violence

AUC / 15 SEP 2021

Dozens of properties and other assets seized from Memo Fantasma, one of Colombia’s foremost drug traffickers, will be used to provide support for those who have suffered from violence in…

Invisible Drug Kingpin 'Don Lucho' Assassinated in Colombia

AUC / 16 JUL 2021

One of Colombia's foremost drug traffickers and money launderers has been assassinated in Bogotá, leaving important unanswered questions about his own criminal past and who might have been after him.

Key Arrests and Police Budget Increases Due to InSight Crime Investigations

MEMO FANTASMA / 8 JUL 2021

With Memo Fantasma’s arrest, InSight Crime has proven that our investigations can and will uncover major criminal threats in the Americas.

Video: How Memo Fantasma Was Discovered

COLOMBIA / 28 JUN 2021

After three decades of living in the shadows, Guillermo Acevedo has been caught. Our Co-director, Jeremy McDermott reveals how it came together.

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About InSight Crime

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THE ORGANIZATION

Who Are Memo Fantasma and Sergio Roberto de Carvalho?

24 JUN 2022

Inside the criminal career of Memo Fantasma  In March 2020, InSight Crime revealed the identity and whereabouts of Memo Fantasma, a paramilitary commander and drug trafficker living in…

THE ORGANIZATION

Environmental and Academic Praise

17 JUN 2022

InSight Crime’s six-part series on the plunder of the Peruvian Amazon continues to inform the debate on environmental security in the region. Our Environmental Crimes Project Manager, María Fernanda Ramírez,…

LA ORGANIZACIÓN

Series on Plunder of Peru’s Amazon Makes Headlines

10 JUN 2022

Since launching on June 2, InSight Crime’s six-part series on environmental crime in Peru’s Amazon has been well-received. Detailing the shocking impunity enjoyed by those plundering the rainforest, the investigation…

THE ORGANIZATION

Duarte’s Death Makes Waves

3 JUN 2022

The announcement of the death of Gentil Duarte, one of the top dissident commanders of the defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), continues to reverberate in Venezuela and Colombia.

THE ORGANIZATION

Cattle Trafficking Acclaim, Investigation into Peru’s Amazon 

27 MAY 2022

On May 18, InSight Crime launched its most recent investigation into cattle trafficking between Central America and Mexico. It showed precisely how beef, illicitly produced in Honduras, Guatemala…

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