On the Radar: Are the Chapitos and CJNG Working Together in Mexico?
This week, we look at a massive DEA sweep against alleged Jalisco Cartel operatives in the US, growing signs of…
How Fuel Theft Drives Mexico’s Violence Epidemic
On November 9, 2024, gunmen stormed a bar in the Mexican town of Santiago de Querétaro, unleashing an indiscriminate spray…
On the Radar: US Designates Barrio 18 a Terrorist Group
This week, we analyze whether the new US terrorist designation for the Barrio 18 gang is political or practical, another…
Diesel Subsidy Cut Could Make Fuel Theft Worse in Ecuador
Fuel theft has spiked in Ecuador as security forces grapple with a growing front in the country’s crime war that…
Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel (CSRL)
The Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel (Cártel de Santa Rosa de Lima – CSRL) is a regional criminal group based…
The Story of Mexico’s Multibillion-dollar Fuel Theft Crisis
A series of recent seizures and arrests underscore how powerful criminal groups in Mexico are expanding their involvement in fuel…
On the Radar: Tren de Aragua Is Not an International Drug Trafficking Group
This week, we assess the troubling US airstrike on a “suspected” drug boat in the southern Caribbean and compare the…
How Mexico’s New Intelligence Law Will Impact Public Security
On July 1, 2025, Mexico approved the National System of Investigation and Intelligence in Public Security Law. The new legislation,…
The Chapitos: Bloodlines and Battlefields in Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel
Joaquín Guzmán López, Ovidio Guzmán López, Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar, alias “The Chapitos” Name Joaquín Guzmán López Ovidio Guzmán López…
On the Radar: El Mayo’s Plea Will Change Nothing
This week, Ismael Zambada García, alias “El Mayo”, one of the founders of the Sinaloa Cartel, pleaded guilty to drug…