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InSight Crime

*Our content is bilingual | Nuestro contenido es bilingüe.
Drawing on field research, local sources, and expert voices, InSight Crime tells the human stories behind organized crime in Latin America and the Caribbean, explaining how criminal networks operate, how they impact countries and communities, and why these dynamics continue to shape the region.
Visit our web site for more: insightcrime.org

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  • 21 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 19 min
  • English

Episodes 21

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  • Tuesday · 32 min

    The InSight Take: How Organized Crime Is Adopting New Drone Technology

    Organized crime groups across Latin America are weaponizing commercial drones, pairing them with IEDs to attack rivals, security forces, and civilians. From CJNG's drone unit in Mexico to gang warfare in Rio's favelas and ELN surveillance drones in Colombia, InSight Crime co-director Jeremy McDermott joins Deborah Bonello to ask whether governments can actually keep pace with the threat.

  • August 18 · 28 min

    The InSight Take: The Shield of the Americas Grows, But Does it Have a Strategy?

    Colombia just became the 19th member of the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition — better known as Shield of the Americas — days after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth flew to Panama to declare its new motto: "We do bad things to bad people." On this week's InSight Take, Managing Editor Deborah Bonello and co-director Jeremy McDermott unpack what this fast-growing coalition actually commits its members to, five months after its founding and still without an approved operational plan. With lethal strikes on Caribbean and Pacific boats having killed over 200 people — and no evidence the US drug flow has slowed — they ask whether Shield of the Americas can actually disrupt organized crime.

  • August 11 · 39 min

    The InSight Take: Abelardo de la Espriella Inherits Colombia's Fractured Criminal Landscape

    Colombia's new president faces one of the most complicated criminal landscapes in the world. In thisweek's InSight Take, Co-Director Jeremy McDermott and Senior Colombia Analyst Sara Garcia unpack what Abelardo de la Espriella inherits: powerful armed groups like the Gaitanistas and the ELN, record cocaine production, and booming illegal gold mining. They weigh Washington's likely support, whether de la Espriella can match the Uribe-era security gains, and the human rights risks of a harder military push. More at insightcrime.org. Story idea? flagship@insightcrime.org.

  • August 4 · 25 min

    The InSight Take: Ecuador's Kingpin Strategy Has Tactical Wins, but Strategic Uncertainty

    The capture of Ecuadorian crime boss Wilmer Chavarría, alias “Pipo,” was a major victory for President Daniel Noboa’s strategy of targeting high-value criminal leaders. But it also raises a larger question: Do arrests of top criminal leaders weaken organized crime, or simply make it more fragmented and violent? In this week's InSight Take, InSight Crime Co-director Steven Dudley and Investigator James Bargent examine what Pipo’s case reveals about Ecuador’s kingpin strategy.

  • July 28 · 29 min

    The InSight Take: Juan Orlando Hernández, from Indictment to Pardon

    From the halls of presidential power to a 45-year prison sentence—and then a shocking return to freedom—this week, we take a look at the story of the former president of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernández (JOH). InSight Crime’s Managing Editor Deborah Bonello speaks to Co-director Steven Dudley about JOH’s twisting tale, from indictment to pardon.

  • July 14 · 25 min

    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, Juan Carlos Valencia González, alias "El 03," as the group's new leader. But El 03 is one of several senior CJNG figures with a claim to power, and the group may avoid naming a single visible boss at all. InSight Crime's Managing Editor Deborah Bonello speaks to Co-director Steven Dudley and Mexico investigators Victoria Dittmar and Parker Asmann about the CJNG's messy succession.

  • July 6 · 22 min

    The InSight Take: Washington's Newest ‘Terrorist’ Label Meets Ecuador’s Fracturing Gang War

    The United States has designated Ecuador's Chone Killers a terrorist organization, but the group has splintered and has no single command structure. InSight Crime's Gavin Voss, Steve Dudley and Deborah Bonello discuss how the label may not map cleanly onto a fragmented reality, echoing a broader pattern where decapitating gang leadership tends to atomize groups rather than dismantle them.

  • June 30 · 13 min

    The InSight Take: El Salvador’s Mass Trials Put Bukele’s Gang Crackdown on Display

    El Salvador’s mass trials of alleged gang members are the latest phase in President Nayib Bukele’s hardline security model, aimed at locking in the dismantling of MS13 and Barrio 18 while processing a massive backlog of cases. InSight Crime's Managing Editor Deborah Bonello and Central America Investigator Alex Papadovassilakis discuss how the trials, which group hundreds of defendants and thousands of crimes into single proceedings, raise troubling questions about whether collective punishment is replacing individual justice.

  • June 24 · 34 min

    Colombia Turns Right With Abelardo de la Espriella: Washington and Security Challenges

    The winner of Colombia's presidential elections Abelardo de la Espriella promised to stop negotiating with guerrilla armies and unleash the country's experienced security forces against criminal groups there. But will the Trump-aligned president-elect keep his promises when he takes office in August? And will his plan help, or hinder, the country's organized crime panorama?

  • June 11 · 12 min

    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 real security risks in Mexico for tourists coming to the World Cup, and look back at the connection between organized crime and soccer.

  • June 2 · 19 min

    PCC and Red Command: Who Loses From US Terrorist Designations in Brazil?

    The designation of two of Brazil's biggest criminal groups, the PCC and the Red Command, as foreign terrorist organizations by the United States promises to impact businesses, financial institutions, and the economy more widely, as much as the gangs themselves. In today's InSight Take, Managing Editor Deborah Bonello and co-director Steven Dudley take a deep dive into both of these criminal groups, their role on the criminal landscape in Brazil and the region, and how these designations might reshape the fight against the PCC and the Red Command going forward. Check out our transcript here: https://bit.ly/4uaVHTH

  • May 26 · 10 min

    Venezuela asegura que combate el crimen organizado: ¿realmente lo hace?

    Durante años, el gobierno venezolano ha mantenido una relación simbiótica con ciertos grupos criminales del país, colaborando con ellos para mantenerse en el poder y beneficiarse de actividades ilícitas. Pero a medida que Estados Unidos ha intensificado sus acciones contra el crimen en América Latina bajo la presidencia de Donald Trump, el gobierno venezolano se ha encontrado entre la espada y la pared. Venezuela asegura que combate el crimen organizado: ¿realmente lo hace? | Escrito por la Unidad Investigativa de Venezuela y leído por Daniel Reyes. Visite insightcrime.org para más información.

  • May 26 · 8 min

    Venezuela Says It is Fighting Organized Crime. Is It?

    For years, the Venezuelan government has had a symbiotic relationship with certain criminal groups in the country, working together to maintain power and profit from illicit activities. But as the United States has taken increasingly aggressive anti-crime action in Latin America under President Donald Trump, the Venezuelan government has found itself between a rock and a hard place. Venezuela Says It is Fighting Organized Crime. Is It? | Written by the Venezuela Investigative Unit and read by Liza Schmidt. Visit insightcrime.org for more information.

  • May 19 · 12 min

    Ecuador Says Extortion Is Down. The Reality Is More Complicated.

    Gang violence and crime has surged to unprecedented levels in Ecuador in recent years. Groups like the Lobos, the Choneros, and the Tiguerones fight for alliances with international drug trafficking groups and control over strategic territories. In the areas they control, these groups reign through violence, threatening and extorting residents. In response, President Daniel Noboa has taken a hard line against the country’s criminal groups, declaring states of emergency, deploying troops to fight gangs, [and] seeking international support to bolster his fight. And the government says its efforts have been successful. But have they? Ecuador Says Extortion Is Down. The Reality Is More Complicated. | Written by Gavin Voss and Steven Dudley, and read by Stella Horrell. Visit insightcrime.org for more information.

  • May 19 · 11 min

    Ecuador asegura que la extorsión está disminuyendo. La realidad es más compleja

    La violencia de las pandillas y el crimen han aumentado a niveles sin precedentes en Ecuador en los últimos años. Grupos como Los Lobos, Los Choneros y Los Tiguerones luchan por alianzas con grupos internacionales de narcotráfico y por el control de territorios estratégicos. En las zonas que controlan, estos grupos imponen su poder mediante la violencia, amenazando y extorsionando a los residentes. En respuesta, el presidente Daniel Noboa ha adoptado una postura de mano dura contra los grupos criminales del país, declarando estados de emergencia, desplegando tropas para combatir a las pandillas y buscando apoyo internacional para reforzar su lucha. Y el gobierno afirma que sus esfuerzos han tenido éxito. ¿Pero lo han logrado? Ecuador asegura que la extorsión está disminuyendo. La realidad es más compleja | Escrito por Gavin Voss y Steve Dudley, y leído por Daniel Reyes. Visite insightcrime.org para más información.

  • May 12 · 16 min

    Colombia’s EMC Holds ‘Total Peace’ Hostage in Cauca

    Colombia is poised for a shift in leadership as its first round of presidential elections approaches on May 31. And as President Gustavo Petro's term draws to a close, so too does his ambitious Total Peace initiative, which attempted to engage and negotiate with many criminal groups across the country. Over the past four years, InSight Crime has extensively reported on the plan’s successes, setbacks, and ongoing challenges. With the transition of power on the horizon, questions loom about the future direction of peace efforts and whether the incoming administration will continue, abandon, or reframe Petro’s strategy in the face of ongoing criminal violence and complex territorial dynamics. Colombia’s EMC Holds ‘Total Peace’ Hostage in Cauca | Written by María Fernanda Ramírez and Juliana Manjarrés, and read by Gavin Voss. Visit insightcrime.org for more information.

  • May 12 · 17 min

    Estado Mayor Central retiene la ‘Paz Total’ en Cauca, Colombia

    Colombia está a punto de vivir un cambio de liderazgo con la proximidad de la primera vuelta de las elecciones presidenciales, que se celebrará el 31 de mayo. Y a medida que el mandato del presidente Gustavo Petro llega a su fin, también lo hace su ambiciosa iniciativa de Paz Total, que intentó involucrar y negociar con numerosos grupos criminales en todo el país. Durante los últimos cuatro años, InSight Crime ha informado extensamente sobre los éxitos, retrocesos y desafíos continuos del plan. Con la transición de poder en el horizonte, surgen preguntas sobre la dirección futura de los esfuerzos de paz y si la administración entrante continuará, abandonará o reformulará la estrategia de Petro frente a la persistente violencia criminal y las complejas dinámicas territoriales. Estado Mayor Central retiene la ‘Paz Total’ en Cauca, Colombia | Escrito por María Fernanda Ramírez y Juliana Manjarrés, y leído por Creusa Muñoz. Visite insightcrime.org para más información.

  • May 5 · 6 min

    ¿Quién es ‘El Jardinero’, el operador clave del CJNG capturado en México?

    Este año ha estado marcado por la captura de varios presuntos capos criminales en América Latina: un líder de alto rango de la banda ecuatoriana Los Lobos, uno de los clanes delictivos del Cartel de Sinaloa en México, e incluso el expresidente de Venezuela, quien enfrenta cargos en Estados Unidos, por mencionar algunos. En México, el poderoso Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) ha sido golpeado con especial dureza en los últimos meses. Primero vino la muerte de su histórico líder, alias “El Mencho”, a manos de las autoridades mexicanas, lo que desató una ola de violencia en los territorios del grupo criminal y dejó en entredicho su línea de sucesión. Luego, el 27 de abril, cayó otro de los líderes del grupo: “El Jardinero”. ¿Quién es ‘El Jardinero’, el operador clave del CJNG capturado en México? | Escrito por Parker Asmann y leído por Daniel Reyes. Visite insightcrime.org para más información.

  • May 5 · 5 min

    Who Is ‘El Jardinero,’ the CJNG Power Broker Arrested in Mexico?

    This year has seen the capture of many alleged crime bosses around Latin America: a top leader of Ecuador’s Los Lobos gang, one of Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel crime families, and the former president of Venezuela, who faces charges in the United States, to name a few. In Mexico, the formidable Jalisco Cartel New Generation has been hit particularly hard in the past few months. First, there was the death of longtime leader alias “El Mencho” at the hands of Mexican authorities, which sparked a wave of violence in the criminal group’s territories left the group’s line of succession in question. Then, on April 27, another of the group’s leaders fell: El Jardinero. Who Is ‘El Jardinero,’ the CJNG Power Broker Arrested in Mexico? | Written by Parker Asmann and read by Liza Schmidt. Visit insightcrime.org for more information.

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