Rastrojos

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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.

GameChangers 2020: How Black Markets Became the New Normal

CONTRABAND / 23 DEC 2020

In a region where 50 percent of the population already makes its living in the informal market, it was perhaps of little surprise that black markets exploded in 2020 amidst…

Enemies to Allies - How Venezuela Decides Which Criminal Groups Thrive

EL KOKI / 19 OCT 2020

The Venezuelan government and security forces have spent the last few months building up a criminal known as Santanita and his gang as one of their major targets, while other…

Between Contraband and Coronavirus: Migration Dynamics at the Venezuela-Colombia Border

CONTRABAND / 24 JUL 2020

As Venezuelan citizens try to return home during the coronavirus pandemic, their own government has accused them of spreading the virus while illegal groups along the Colombian border see them…

Rastrojos Under Siege at Colombia-Venezuela Border

COLOMBIA / 30 MAR 2020

The Colombian criminal group Los Rastrojos is fighting a two-front war: against ELN guerrillas looking to usurp the group's highly profitable operations along the border with Venezuela, and against Venezuelan…

Why did Juan Guaidó Take Photos With Criminals at the Colombia Border?

COLOMBIA / 19 SEP 2019

Controversial photos showing Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó posing with the heads of a Colombian paramilitary group, who allegedly helped Guaidó cross from Venezuela into Colombia, confirm the extreme level…

Massacre on Colombia-Venezuela Border Reveals Rastrojos Civil War

COLOMBIA / 2 JUL 2019

A massacre on the Colombia-Venezuela border has been attributed to warring factions of the Rastrojos gang, revealing a bloody leadership dispute that threatens to further destabilize the volatile border region.

'La Línea' Gang Takes Deadly Hold on Colombia-Venezuela Border

COLOMBIA / 21 MAY 2019

A violent criminal gang known as "La Línea" has triggered several deadly shootouts in battles with other armed groups seeking to control remote trails near the main border crossing between…

EPL, Rastrojos Behind Rising Violence in Venezuela Border State of Táchira

COLOMBIA / 6 MAY 2019

A recent shootout at the main border crossing between Colombia and Venezuela and the killing of five people in another Venezuelan frontier town shows that clashes between criminal groups over…

GameChangers 2018: Venezuelan Migration a New Gold Mine for Organized Crime

COLOMBIA / 8 JAN 2019

Turbulence reigned in 2018, but there was one constant: the flow of Venezuelans fleeing their country. The unceasing migration has left thousands of people homeless, penniless and ripe for exploitation…

Women, Youth Primed for Gang Recruitment in Venezuela

ELN / 31 DEC 2018

A new report from a Venezuela non-governmental organization working on migration issues shows that Colombia's criminal groups have been recruiting Venezuelans into their ranks at an accelerated rate.

Rastrojos Demonstrate Power with Attack on Venezuela Military Base

COLOMBIA / 5 NOV 2018

A recent attack by Colombian criminal group, Los Rastrojos, on a military base in Venezuela confirms that the group is gathering strength in the country and will not hold back…

The Colombian Mafia

COLOMBIA / 13 MAR 2018

The mafia in Colombia today is comprised of a maelstrom of localized groups, shadowy power brokers and sub-contracted labor that combine to bring order to the underworld chaos and make…

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About InSight Crime

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THE ORGANIZATION

Unraveling the Web of Elites Connected to Organized Crime

27 JUL 2021

InSight Crime published Elites and Organized Crime in Nicaragua, a deep dive into the relationships between criminal actors and elites in that Central American nation.

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime’s Greater Focus on US-Mexico Border

20 JUL 2021

InSight Crime has decided to turn many of its investigative resources towards understanding and chronicling the criminal dynamics along the US-Mexico border.

THE ORGANIZATION

Key Arrests and Police Budget Increases Due to InSight Crime Investigations

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.

THE ORGANIZATION

Organized Crime’s Influence on Gender-Based Violence

30 JUN 2021

InSight Crime investigator Laura N. Ávila spoke on organized crime and gender-based violence at the launch of a research project by the United Nations Development Programme.