Cárteles Unidos
The Cárteles Unidos (CU) is a criminal organization that was born out of an alliance between the Cartel de Tepalcatepec,…
The Sinaloa Cartel’s Fractured Future
The Sinaloa Cartel has long ruled the drug trade in the Western hemisphere. But now, it’s tearing itself apart. Since…
The InSight Take: Ecuador’s Kingpin Strategy Has Tactical Wins, but Strategic Uncertainty
The capture of Ecuadorian crime boss Wilmer Chavarría, alias “Pipo,” was a major victory for President Daniel Noboa’s strategy of…
Mapping Latin America’s Megaprisons
In the three years since President of El Salvador Nayib Bukele opened his famous Terrorism Confinement Center (Centro de Confinamiento…
Brazil Crackdown Reveals New Tren de Aragua Playbook
A recent police operation in northern Brazil has revealed how the Venezuelan-born gang Tren de Aragua has established a presence…
Podcast | “They Are Going to Kill Us”: Sex Workers in Peru Face Extortion and Violence
Sex workers in Peru face extortion and violence at the hands of police officers and members of Tren de Aragua.…
On The Radar: Airstrikes Aren’t Stopping Cocaine, DEA Admits
Have US airstrikes in the Caribbean and Pacific actually slowed the flow of cocaine? Who is “El 03,” the man…
Reshuffled or Reformed? Venezuela’s Criminal Order After Maduro
The arrest of then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife on January 3 was an unprecedented aggression by the United…
The InSight Take: Juan Orlando Hernández, from Indictment to Pardon
From the halls of presidential power to a 45-year prison sentence for drug trafficking, and then an astonishing return to…
Guatemala Border Attack Signals Lorenzana Clan’s Return
Reports that an armed attack on the Guatemala-Honduras border was linked to the Lorenzanas trafficking network illustrate the resilience of…