Insight Crime

Yohan José Romero, alias ‘Johan Petrica’ Yohan José Romero, alias “Johan Petrica,” is the leader of the criminal mining syndicate Las Claritas Sindicato as well as one of the co-founders and original leaders of Tren de Aragua, a loosely aligned Venezuelan organization that has expanded across the region. Under Petrica’s leadership, Las Claritas Sindicato became one of the strongest mining gangs in Bolívar state, southern Venezuela. The group controls one of the country’s largest mining encla

The InSight Take: Colombia Turns Right With Abelardo de la Espriella. Here Are the Washington and Security Challenges. The winner of Colombia’s presidential elections, Abelardo de la Espriella, promised to stop negotiating with guerrilla armies and to unleash the country’s experienced security forces against criminal groups there during his political campaign. But will the Trump-aligned president-elect keep his promises when he takes office in August? And will his plan help, or hinder, th

Border Command The Border Command (Comandos de la Frontera – CDF) is a Colombian criminal group that emerged in 2017. It arose from a criminal alliance between dissidents from the former 32nd and 48th Fronts of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia – FARC) and members of La Constru, a criminal organization formed in 2006 following the demobilization of the paramilitary blocs of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (Autodefensas Unida

El Makabelico and the Narco-Rap Soundtrack of Mexico’s Northeast Cartel “I’m a drug trafficker from the Northeast, my cartel,” raps El Makabelico. “With my AK-47 slung across my chest, I ride alongside El Komander. My souped-up .38 Super, encrusted with diamonds.” Those and other lyrics made Ricardo Hernández Medrano, formerly known as El Makabelico, a famous figure in Mexico’s narco-rap scene. Performing behind a ski mask and cultivating an image closely associ

Two Extremes: The Security Choices Facing Colombian Voters Iván Cepeda and Abelardo de la Espriella, two candidates with opposing visions for Colombia’s future on security, drugs, and peace, are set to face off in the presidential runoff this weekend.  Cepeda, a left-wing senator, philosopher, and peace advocate, will go up against De la Espriella, a lawyer, businessman, and admirer of US President Donald Trump who has promised to give security forces free rein against Colombia’s illeg

Influencers and Organized Crime: Identifying Patterns in Their Relationship  Social media influencers are playing an increasingly important role in organized crime. The kidnapping of social media star Nicole Pardo earlier this year created headlines beyond Mexico, as readers waited to see what fate would befall the crime-adjacent influencer.  Pardo, who made a good living selling narco-branded caps and commissioned a narco corrido (drug-trafficking-themed ballads) about herself, is one of th

Pure Third Command The Pure Third Command (Terceiro Comando Puro – TCP) is Brazil’s third largest criminal group and the second most powerful gang in Rio de Janeiro. Its origins can be traced back to a split within the Rio-based Red Command (Comando Vermelho – CV) gang in the mid-1980s. Its main criminal activities are drug trafficking and dealing, arms trafficking, and money laundering. In This Profile:Recent TCP NewsWhat is The Story of The TCP?Who Are the Leaders of the TCP?Where Does the

Could the ELN Be the Next Major Target in Venezuela? After the US-Venezuela cooperation on the missile strike that killed the leader of Venezuela’s most feared gang, could Colombian guerrillas, who have long encamped in Venezuela with the support of elements of the Chavista regime, face similar bombardments? Bolívar, where Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, alias “Niño Guerrero,” the founder and leader of the Venezuelan transnational gang Tren de Aragua, was struck in southern Venezuela, is

On the Radar: Criminal Shake-Ups in Ecuador and Venezuela as Colombia Votes on Security Will the killing of Tren de Aragua founder Niño Guerrero have much impact on organized crime? Does the capture of “Fito”’s brother in Ecuador promise to improve the security situation there?And which Colombian presidential candidate will win over voters on security in the second round of voting? This week’s top three organized crime stories, in On the Radar. 1: US Kills Tren de Aragua Leader in Vene

The InSight Take: The Future of Tren de Aragua After the Death of Niño Guerrero The killing of Hector Guerrero Flores, also known as Niño Guerrero, by US and Venezuelan forces struck a substantial blow to the gang he helped found: Tren de Aragua. Deborah Bonello, managing editor of InSight Crime, and co-director Jeremy McDermott discuss what the killing of Niño Guerrero means for the gang,  organized crime in Venezuela and beyond, and the United States’ “drug war” i

Niño Guerrero Is Dead. This Is How He Built Latin America’s Most Notorious Criminal Franchise Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, alias “Niño Guerrero,” top leader of the Venezuelan criminal group Tren de Aragua, was killed in a joint operation between the United States and Venezuela. The strike, the exact date of which remains unconfirmed, took place in the last week, was announced on June 12, and is being framed as the latest win for the Trump administration’s kingpin strategy. But h

Tren de Aragua Leader ‘Niño Guerrero’ Killed in Venezuela Tren de Aragua leader Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, alias “Niño Guerrero,” has been killed during joint operations between the United States and Venezuela, according to statements made by United States President Donald Trump, as well as both governments. A video released by the Trump administration on the night of June 12 shows a house being blown apart in what Venezuelan authorities later described as a kinetic stri

When Tren del Llano Went to War: Stolen Elections and Vengeance in Venezuela This article is part of a series produced by InSight Crime and the Venezuelan human rights organization Defiende Venezuela. Explore the full investigation here. The video began circulating in late July 2024. In the center stands a man dressed all in black. He clutches a pump-action shotgun and has an assault rifle slung over his shoulder and ammunition belts crisscrossing his chest. Behind him, shadowy figure

The Day the Bombs Fell: The Anti-Gang Op Where Venezuela’s Security Forces Ran Wild This explainer is part of a series produced by InSight Crime and the Venezuelan human rights organization Defiende Venezuela. Explore the full investigation here. *The testimonies used in this story are real, but the voices are generated by artificial intelligence and names were changed to protect the victims. The Takeover On the night of July 29, 2024, a criminal commando unit armed with rifle

The InSight Take: The Real Risks of Mexico’s World Cup InSight Crime’s Co-Director Steven Dudley and Managing Editor Deborah Bonello separate fact from fiction around the security risks in Mexico for tourists coming to the World Cup, and look back at the connection between organized crime and soccer. Transcription:[00:00:00] Deborah: It’s World Cup time, and millions of visitors are expected to travel to Mexico’s host cities, Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monter

On the Radar: Colombia’s ‘Otoniel,’ Venezuela’s Illegal Miners, and Mexico’s World Cup What do the latest government moves on illegal mining in Venezuela show? What does Colombia’s sentencing of “Otoniel” mean for the criminal organization he once led? Are tourists in Mexico for the World Cup really at risk? This week’s top three organized crime stories in On the Radar. 1: What do the latest government moves on illegal mining in Venezuela show? Repor

What a Drug Bust Involving a MrBeast Winner Says About LatAm’s Marijuana Trade A private jet co-piloted by the winner of a MrBeast YouTube challenge was seized by Paraguayan authorities after more than 250 kilograms of premium marijuana were found on board, underscoring a little-noticed reversal in hemispheric trafficking patterns: Higher-value marijuana is now moving into South America from the North. Paraguayan authorities found 261.6 kilograms of marijuana with a high-THC content va

Northeast Cartel The Northeast Cartel (Cartel del Noreste – CDN) is a Mexican criminal group involved in drug trafficking, extortion, kidnapping, human trafficking, and migrant smuggling. The organization emerged following the fragmentation of the Zetas and inherited part of the criminal infrastructure and territory that that group had established in northeastern Mexico. Although it has faced constant law enforcement operations and the capture of several of its top leaders, the CDN has

‘I’m Just a Regular Girl’: The ‘Narco’ Influencer Who Survived a Kidnapping When a white sedan pulled up alongside her Tesla Cybertruck on the side of a road in Culiacán, Sinaloa, social media influencer Nicole Pardo—known to her followers as LaNicholette—didn’t run. Instead, iPhone in hand, she paused. Her reaction, or lack thereof, provoked a common question with any influencer: Is what I’m watching actually real? The rest of the video doesn’t help. Millions later watched the silent

Colombia Sentences ‘Otoniel’ as the Gulf Clan Continues to Expand Dairo Antonio Úsuga, the longtime leader of the Colombian criminal group the Urabeños, also known as the Gulf Clan (Clan del Golfo), was just sentenced to 30 years in prison by Colombia’s government. The trafficker, also known as “Otoniel,” will serve that time at home after he completes the 45-year sentence he’s currently serving in the United States.  Otoniel, who was one of Colombia’s most powerful and wanted cr