State Inertia and Organized Crime Limit Colombia’s Coca Substitution Program
Changes in the leadership of Colombia’s illicit crop substitution program and problems in its implementation raise questions about how organized…
Why Is Venezuela’s Crime Rate Falling?
A government-reported decline in Venezuela’s crime rate may create the illusion of a security breakthrough, but the reduction has more…
From Total to Partial Peace: Colombia’s Talks With Crime Groups Fragment
Colombian President Gustavo Petro is being forced to confront the possibility that his flagship security policy, Total Peace (Paz Total),…
Colombia’s Ex-FARC Mafia Issues IDs to Enforce Criminal Governance
Reports of Colombian armed factions demanding custom identification documents in their territories show criminal groups’ growing territorial control amid ongoing…
Q&A: How the AGC Threatens Colombia’s Plans for Total Peace
One of Colombia’s biggest criminal groups is expanding its reach, threatening to disrupt the government’s peace processes with other armed…
Ex-FARC Mafia
The ex-FARC mafia are a series of criminal structures that emerged during and after peace negotiations between the Colombian government…
Carlos Capa, Defiant Criminal Boss, Killed in Venezuela
The leader of one of Venezuela’s most notorious criminal gangs was killed by security forces after years of evading government…
Unmasking the Foreign Players on Ecuador’s Criminal Chessboard
Ecuador declared war on 22 domestic drug trafficking gangs in January, proclaiming them terrorist organizations and arresting over 11,000 suspects.…
Néstor Gregorio Vera Fernández, alias ‘Iván Mordisco’
Nestor Gregorio Vera Fernández, alias “Iván Mordisco,” is one of the most important commanders of the ex-FARC mafia in Colombia,…
ELN, Ex-FARC Mafia Drive Rising Cocaine Production in Zulia, Venezuela
A series of large-scale drug seizures at clandestine laboratories in a Venezuelan border state suggest the ELN and ex-FARC mafia…