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…
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…
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…
The InSight Take: After El Mayo’s Sentencing, is the Godfather Era of the Sinaloa Cartel Over?
Deborah: A federal judge in Brooklyn just sentenced Ismael Zambada Garcia, also known as El Mayo, to life in prison…
On the Radar: The Rise of Liquid Cocaine
Could liquid cocaine become the go-to trick for traffickers across the region? Will “El Mayo” Zambada spend his final years…
Mexican Meth Expertise Spreads to African Labs
The presence of Mexican methamphetamine cooks at laboratories in Africa was once considered an anomaly, but a series of recent…
Familia Michoacana
At the height of its power, the Familia Michoacana’s brutal tactics, strong base of operations and pseudo-religious ideology made it…
The InSight Take: CJNG’s New Boss? Not So Fast
Following the death of CJNG leader “El Mencho” in a February 2026 military operation, US authorities have named his stepson,…
US Names El Mencho’s Successor—CJNG May Have Other Plans
For nearly two decades, Juan Carlos Valencia González built power inside Mexico’s Jalisco Cartel while staying almost invisible to the…
Juan Carlos Valencia González, alias ‘El 03’
Juan Carlos Valencia González—known as “El 03” or “Pelón”—is one of the most senior figures in the Jalisco Cartel New…