All About Otoniel

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

COLOMBIA / 1 NOV 2021

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

AUC / 26 OCT 2021

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?

COLOMBIA / 25 OCT 2021

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 Urabeños' Venezuela Gamble May Be Failing

COLOMBIA / 2 SEP 2021

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

COLOMBIA / 23 AUG 2021

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

COLOMBIA / 12 JUL 2021

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

COLOMBIA / 19 JAN 2021

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

COCAINE / 10 DEC 2020

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…

Urabeños Reactivate Montes de María Drug Route in Northern Colombia

COCAINE / 8 SEP 2020

Reports that the Urabeños are re-activating an old drug trafficking route in Montes de María, Colombia, may suggest that it has been pushed to do so due to losing power…

Criminal Governance Under Coronavirus: How Colombian Groups Seized the Day

COLOMBIA / 3 SEP 2020

The coronavirus pandemic sparked a shift in Colombia as criminal actors the nation over sought to profit from the sudden change in conditions, the refocusing of state priorities and a…

Urabeños Leadership Under Mounting Pressure in Colombia

COLOMBIA / 30 AUG 2019

Authorities in Colombia continue to home in on the Urabeños crime group, arresting the brother of boss Dairo Antonio Úsuga.

Caparrapos Thriving in Colombia Due to Alliances With ELN, Ex-FARC Mafia

COLOMBIA / 30 JAN 2019

Having become one of the more visible criminal actors in Colombia due to their war with the Urabeños, the Caparrapos have been heavily targeted by authorities in 2019 so far.

The Steady Downfall of Colombia's Most Powerful Drug Organization

COLOMBIA / 5 OCT 2018

Rocked by government assaults, internal dissent and a leader publicly looking to abandon ship, the Urabeños are facing a dire outlook, one that promises a violent reshuffling within Colombia’s criminal…

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Venezuela El Dorado Investigation Makes Headlines

3 DEC 2021

InSight Crime's investigation into the trafficking of illegal gold in Venezuela's Amazon region generated impact on both social media and in the press. Besides being republished and mentioned by several…

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Gender and Investigative Techniques Focus of Workshops

26 NOV 2021

On November 23-24, InSight Crime conducted a workshop called “How to Cover Organized Crime: Investigation Techniques and A Focus on Gender.” The session convened reporters and investigators from a dozen…

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19 NOV 2021

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12 NOV 2021

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Backing Investigative Journalism Around the Globe

5 NOV 2021

InSight Crime was a proud supporter of this year's Global Investigative Journalism Conference, which took place November 1 through November 5 and convened nearly 2,000 journalists…

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