Gaitanistas Seek to Paralyze Parts of Colombia After Otoniel's Extradition

After the Urabeños’ former leader, alias Otoniel, was extradited to the United States this week, the group ordered a show of force across Colombia.

Otoniel's Extradition Heralds End for a Generation of Colombian Traffickers

Accused Colombia drug lord Dairo Antonio Úsuga, alias “Otoniel,” has been extradited to the United States, bringing to an end an era of traffickers forged in the fires of the…

Sanctions Against Ireland's Top Drug Trafficker May End 'Super Cartel' Allegations

Recent sanctions imposed by the United States on the Kinahan Clan, arguably Ireland’s most powerful organized crime group, have brought to the fore this group’s role in cocaine trafficking between…

Raids Reveal Gaitanistas' Grasp Reaches Panama

A series of arrests have revealed that one of Colombia's dominant criminal groups has a strong foothold in Panama, including the support of corrupt officials and security forces.

The Gaitanistas After Otoniel - What Becomes of Colombia's Largest Criminal Threat?

Long-time leader, Otoniel, President Iván Duque said the gang's "days were numbered." But is that accurate?…

Last Man Standing: US Indictments Tell the Tale of Colombia's Otoniel

Accused Colombian trafficker Dairo Antonio Úsuga, alias “Otoniel,” has been on the radar of US prosecutors for more than a decade, and indictments are open against him in three US…

What Does Otoniel's Arrest Really Mean for Colombia?

Dairo Antonio Úsuga, alias “Otoniel,” was the most-wanted man in Colombia. His arrest was seen as so significant that a $5 million reward was on offer.

The Gaitanistas' Venezuela Gamble May Be Failing

The Urabeños, one of Colombia's dominant drug groups, are seemingly ramping up operations along the Colombia-Venezuela border – a gambit likely to foment more violence in an already dangerous region.

New Guerrilla Boss, Same as Old Guerrilla Boss in Colombia

The death of a top guerrilla commander in southern Colombia has unveiled an all-too-familiar situation: the leaders of criminal groups may be replaced, but this rarely leads to any meaningful…

Number of People Fleeing Their Homes Has Doubled in Colombia

The pandemic has done nothing to reduce clashes between criminal actors in Colombia, with a rise in violence in early 2021 causing the number of people fleeing their homes to…

New Criminal Alliance Fending Off ELN at Colombia-Venezuela Border

A new alliance between two of Colombia's main criminal groups is seeking to contest the ELN's control of lucrative criminal economies along the border with Venezuela.

The Endless War to Control Northwest Colombia's Drug Routes

The killing of an Indigenous leader in Bahia Solano, on Colombia’s Pacific Coast, adds to mounting violence that has fueled the displacement of hundreds, as the Urabeños drug gang…