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…
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…
On the Radar: Football, Cocaine, and Corruption
How football fuels Paraguay’s drug trade, the latest extradition request from Mexico to the US, and what the latest cocaine…
Colombia’s EMC Holds ‘Total Peace’ Hostage in Cauca
“Send a helicopter! They’re going to kill us! They’re going to kill us! For God’s sake, there are injured people…
As Brazil’s PCC Gentrifies, Favela Residents Must Fend for Themselves
When the First Capital Command (Primeiro Comando da Capital – PCC) took over the brightly-colored hillside favelas in São Paulo,…
How InSight Crime Tracked Down an Explosive Narco Video in Honduras
This article is part of our Narrated Stories Series On February 12, 2025, a convicted drug trafficker named Bayron Ruiz…