Is Brazil’s Biggest Port Winning the Fight Against Drug Traffickers?
The police boat is dwarfed by the massive cargo ships it passes floating in the channel of Brazil’s Santos port.…
On the Radar: El Mencho’s Capture – Gamechanger or Business as Usual?
Will the killing of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias “El Mencho,” the head of the Jalisco Cartel New Generation, end the…
Breaking Analysis: What Does the Killing of ‘El Mencho’ Mean for Mexico’s Drug War?
InSight Crime Investigator Victoria Dittmar and Co-Director Steven Dudley discuss how the killing of CJNG leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias…
How CJNG Control Works in Guadalajara, With or Without El Mencho
In a matter of hours, gunmen paralyzed the city of Guadalajara, a major economic hub of some 5 million people,…
The Future of Drug Trafficking Out of Venezuela
Drug trafficking out of Venezuela predates Nicolás Maduro and will long outlive him. The question is whether the cocaine trade…
The King Is Dead, Long Live the Queen
The January 3 operation that seized Nicolás Maduro defied the rules of foreign intervention, sending shockwaves through world capitals and…
The Shifting US Portrait of the Cartel of the Suns
US President Donald Trump appeared full of swagger on January 3, as he announced the arrest of his Venezuelan counterpart…
The Criminal Portfolio Sustaining Military Loyalty in Venezuela
On November 27, 2024 – just over a year before the US invaded Caracas to arrest him – Venezuelan President…
The Evolution of the Cartel of the Suns
On February 18, General Francis Donovan, the head of the United States Southern Command, made a surprise appearance in Venezuela.…
Camaraderie and Drug Trafficking: Colombian Guerrillas in Venezuela
It was 2016 when Raúl* received a visit that would mark the beginning of a long nightmare. A Venezuelan general…