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…
Podcast | A Marked House: Extortion in Ecuador
For Andrés and Juliana, Durán was home. That is, until extortionists from one of Ecuador’s most powerful gangs, the Chone…
On the Radar: Maduro Trial Takes Shape as Brazil Targets PCC Finances
What’s the latest on the US case against Nicolás Maduro? Brazil keeps targeting the PCC’s finances—but is it working? And…
The ‘New’ US War on Organized Crime
President Trump’s administration has made the fight against drug trafficking the premise for militarized, punitive action both at home and…
Four Decades of El Mayo’s Criminal Career End in a Life Sentence
For four decades, Ismael Zambada García alias “El Mayo,” who was just sentenced to life in prison without parole in…