Massacres Spike in Antioquia as Colombia's Gaitanistas Expand

The central Colombian department of Antioquia has been the scene of four massacres over the first two months of 2021, as the Urabeños trafficking group aims to expand both its…

'El Montañero' Capture Shows Power of El Mesa Crime Group in Colombia

Authorities in Colombia have captured a crime boss who began as a gang leader on Medellin's outskirts and came to control a massive criminal enterprise in the region.

Colombia Town Outside Medellín Sees Murders Rise Then Drop

The tense calm that had persisted for six years in the town of Bello, near Medellín in Colombia, has been shattered in 2019, as homicides have spiked by 175 percent…

Colombia's 'Gota a Gota' Loan Sharks Exploit Chile Market

A Colombian gang leader has been accused of operating a "gota a gota" loansharking network in Chile -- evidence that this extortion tactic continues to spread across the region.

Arrests Uncover Alliance Among Top Colombian Mafias

Members of some of Colombia’s most notorious crime organizations teamed up to traffic about three tons of cocaine, revealing a fascinating high-profile alliance.

For Medellín's Oficina Capos, the Shuffle is Part of the Game

Authorities in Colombia have recently arrested three leaders of the Oficina de Envigado, a mafia that began under Pablo Escobar and has long controlled the city’s underworld since his death.

A Guatemala Drug Trafficking Chapter Ends in the US

A judge lowered the sentence of a convicted Guatemalan drug trafficker in a US court on February 22, just weeks after US federal authorities released another convicted Guatemalan trafficker from…

Medellín Sees Murders Rise After Years of Declining Violence

Hillside gangs quick to settle scores have been blamed for an increase in killings in the Colombian city of Medellín, yet changes in the city’s underworld are behind the rising…

Colombia Sees Booming Market for Synthetic Drugs at Home and Abroad

Colombia authorities have dismantled a network of traffickers who hid the synthetic drug ketamine inside superhero figurines on their way to the United States, China and other countries.

'El Chapo' Son's Medellín Visit Reveals Criminal Underworld Dynamics

Reports about the prolonged visit of the son of alleged Mexican drug kingpin Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán to Colombia’s city of Medellín have revealed new details about the growing influence…

Weekly InSight: Widow, Son Keep Pablo Escobar's Criminal Legacy Alive

In our June 7 Facebook Live session, Investigator Sergio Saffon and Managing Editor Josefina Salomón analyzed the criminal legacy of Pablo Escobar and the significance of the recent cases against…

US Helps Colombia Arrest Longtime Medellín Underworld Figure 'Popeye'

Authorities in Colombia have arrested a former hitman for Pablo Escobar and the notorious Medellín Cartel, underscoring how the Andean nation continues to take down key figures in Medellín’s criminal…