All About Venezuela Groups

VENEZUELA

Border Security Colectivo

VENEZUELA GROUPS / 20 JAN 2021

The Border Security Colectivo (Colectivo de Seguridad Fronteriza – CSF) is a state-supported irregular militia group based in the Colombian border state of Táchira.

Cartel of the Suns

CARTEL OF THE SUNS / MAY 14, 2022

The “Cartel of the Suns” (Cartel de los Soles) is the term used to describe the shadowy groups inside Venezuela’s military that are involved in a wide range of criminal…

The Meleán

VENEZUELA GROUPS / 8 JAN 2021

For more than 40 years, the Meleán gang has ranked among the leading criminal groups within the criminal landscape of Zulia, a state in western Venezuela.

Tren de Aragua

TREN DE ARAGUA / OCTOBER 21, 2021

The Tren de Aragua is Venezuela’s most powerful local "megabanda," or large criminal gangs with more than 100 members. This group is largely based out of the Tocorón prison in…

Ex-FARC Mafia

COLOMBIA GROUPS / JUNE 28, 2022

Las disidencias de las FARC o ex-Farc Mafia son grupos de excombatientes de la antigua guerrilla que se opusieron o desencantaron del proceso de paz con el gobierno colombiano desde…

Tren del Llano

MEGABANDAS / JUNE 23, 2022

Tren del Llano (Train of the Plain) is one of the first so-called "megabandas" or criminal gangs to develop in Venezuela.

FBL/FPLN

FBL / JULY 15, 2019

The Patriotic Forces of National Liberation (FPLN) is a guerrilla group based in western Venezuela, along the border with Colombia. It is also commonly known by its previous acronym: the…

BACRIM in Venezuela

ÁGUILAS NEGRAS / 2015-04-07 22:29:39

Various criminal groups made up of former Colombian paramilitaries, known as BACRIM, are present in Venezuela, using the country to run drug trafficking operations, process cocaine, and stash drugs and arms.

ELN in Venezuela

ELN / JANUARY 28, 2020

Colombian guerrilla group the National Liberation Army (Ejército de Liberación Nacional – ELN) has used Venezuelan territory for decades, but its presence in the country has become increasingly important since…

Ex-FARC Mafia in Venezuela

EX-FARC MAFIA / OCTOBER 13, 2021

Venezuela is a vital base of operations for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), and three of its seven blocs (fighting divisions) have a presence there. The country provides the…

ELN

COLOMBIA / JANUARY 11, 2022

The ELN is the last real guerrilla force in Latin America and has transitioned into a real transnational threat in Colombia and Venezuela.

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Extensive Coverage of our Chronicles of a Cartel Bodyguard

23 SEP 2022

Our recent investigation, A Cartel Bodyguard in Mexico’s 'Hot Land', has received extensive media coverage.

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime, American University Host Illegal Fishing Panel

19 SEP 2022

InSight Crime and the Center for Latin American & Latino Studies (CLALS) at American University discussed the findings of a joint investigation on IUU fishing at a September 9 conference.

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Impact on the Media Landscape

9 SEP 2022

InSight Crime’s first investigation on the Dominican Republic made an immediate impact on the Dominican media landscape, with major news outlets republishing and reprinting our findings, including in …

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InSight Crime Sharpens Its Skills

2 SEP 2022

Last week, the InSight Crime team gathered for our annual retreat in Colombia, where we discussed our vision and strategy for the next 12 months.  During the week, we also learned how to…

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Colombia’s Fragile Path to Peace Begins to Take Shape

26 AUG 2022

InSight Crime is charting the progress of President Gustavo Petro’s agenda as he looks to revolutionize Colombia’s security policy, opening dialogue with guerrillas, reforming the military and police, and…

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