InSight Crime

Supposed Mexican drug trafficker Dámaso López Serrano, who is known as Mini Lic and is allegedly a key operator in the Sinaloa Cartel, was recaptured last week in Virginia in the U.S. on charges of fentanyl trafficking. Mini Lic first went into US custody when he turned himself in in 2017, after which the government claimed he was the highest-ranking Mexican cartel leader ever to surrender. But that might not have been the end of his criminal career. What has the son of El Chapo’s former right-hand man been up to since he was released on parole? Fentanyl trafficking, according to unconfirmed sources in the FBI.

This year, several criminal actors stood out for their resilience in the face of an ever-evolving criminal landscape. Their stories not only emphasize the brutality, but also the urgent need to develop comprehensive strategies to counter their influence. Here is the Top 5 most read criminal actors on InSight Crime: 1️⃣ Pablo Escobar: Even 30 years after his death, Escobar remains the emblem of a nearly extinct drug trafficking era dominated by hierarchical groups in Colombia. His life, marked by extreme violence and ostentatious wealth, continues to shape organized crime narratives. Contemporary manifestations of his legacy, ranging from pop culture to the environmental impact of his infamous hippos, underscore his status as a controversial historical and cultural icon. 2️⃣ El Mayo Zambada: The capture of this veteran Sinaloa Cartel leader marked the beginning of a possible end for Mexico's old school capos. His fall, the result of an internal betrayal, not only shook the cartel, but also redefined the balance of power in Mexican drug trafficking. 3️⃣ Emma Coronel: Released from prison, the wife of “El Chapo” Guzman has re-emerged as a fashion icon, renewing interest in the role of women within criminal organizations. Her story combines loyalty and reinvention, reflecting the complexity of organized crime links. 4️⃣ Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier: In the midst of Haiti's political and humanitarian collapse, the gang leader has established himself as a powerful figure. His brutality and his ability to fill the vacuum left by the state make him a symbol of the growing influence of gangs in Haiti. 5️⃣ Marllory Chacón “The Queen of the South”, one of Central America's most notorious drug traffickers, remains a reference point for the role of women in organized crime. To learn more about these criminal characters, read our article and share it: https://bit.ly/4fgpJOu

With a donation starting at $10, you can access our event: Criminal GameChangers: Fieldwork InSights and What Lies Ahead, a virtual panel in English featuring InSight Crime co-directors Steven Dudley and Jeremy McDermott, accompanied by some of our most experienced investigators, who will share their experiences on the ground and discuss the security outlook for the region in 2025. 👉 https://bit.ly/4foaiUn

In the #VenezuelaObservatory we highlight five key facts about organized crime: 1️⃣ The arrest of two men in Zulia state for their involvement in extortion under the modality of “gota a gota” loans shows of the expansion of this criminal dynamic throughout the country. 2️⃣ A government intervention in the Guárico state prison, the most recent in a series of prison operations, found that the director of the prison was collaborating with inmates. However, the intervention left some questions unanswered. 3️⃣ The dismantling of a clandestine laboratory for the production of artisanal fuel in the state of Zulia shows how black markets for fuel operate in the oil region. 4️⃣ The fraud case of the owner of a coffee brand illustrates how business figures can take advantage of their state connections to commit crimes. 5️⃣ The arrest of two brothers carrying 4,173 cartridges and two pistols points to the involvement of security forces in arms trafficking. 📌 Filter by date to read the Venezuela Observatory's analysis of these and other organized crime events: https://bit.ly/4buMOuY

Multiple Bahamas security officials facilitated the arrival of cocaine-laden planes from Colombia and Venezuela to the island, according to a recent US indictment. They then allowed traffickers to export the drugs on a series of boats to the nearby US coast. This type of scheme is not new. The Bahamas and the northern Caribbean was a crucial cocaine transshipment zone in the 1970s and 80s, though its importance had since waned. Now the Caribbean route is showing signs of a resurgence, with rising seizures in places like the Dominican Republic and the French Caribbean. The indictment also highlighted that the Bahamas is becoming “increasingly valuable” to cocaine traffickers. To find out more about the scandal and cocaine trafficking in the island nation, read our article here and share with your network: https://bit.ly/3ZqMnO8

Former Medellin Cartel leader Fabio Ochoa to be deported to Colombia after serving time in the United States In an unexpected twist, the United States has requested that the extradition treaty with Colombia be honored, after backtracking on its decision to hold him on a pending indictment in Jacksonville. His story is more than just a tale of the past; it is a warning to those still involved in drug trafficking. What lessons does his case teach?

🇭🇳 Over 3,500 archaeological artifacts have been recovered from the home of controversial Canadian property magnate Randy Roy Jorgensen, alias 'The Porn King'. The discovery triggered OFRANEH, a nonprofit that represents Honduras' Indigenous Garífuna population, to file a criminal complaint to the Attorney General for archaeological looting. Jorgensen is also being investigated by Honduran authorities for money laundering and fraud. The Porn King's archaeological escapade shines a light on Honduras' ongoing land conflicts. Jorgensen built his property empire on land stolen from Indigenous populations, according to OFRANEH, using funds from the adult film business. His beachside properties now adorn some of Honduras' most beautiful, and most violent lands. Read our latest article to learn more about how the archaeological haul and the Porn King's dubious property portfolio intersect with indigenous land rights and cultural heritage in Honduras: https://bit.ly/3OPvacb

👉 Ecuador’s prisons exploded into extreme violence and criminal chaos at devastating speed. But this crisis was decades in the making, and the product of state negligence, corruption and failure as well as a perfect storm of criminal conditions. Swipe to explore the different key moments in this evolution. To read more about corruption in the prison business and the state’s relationship with Ecuador’s prison mafias see our full investigation here: https://bit.ly/4gmGEzF

In Haiti, a gruesome gang massacre claimed the lives of over 100 mostly elderly residents in one of the capital city’s poorest communities. Gang members shot or stabbed victims to death with machetes and knives, burning bodies in the streets, according to human rights groups, in what was allegedly a revenge killing ordered by a gang leader following the death of his son. The murders highlighted the undisputed social control enjoyed by criminal actors in some of Haiti’s most impoverished areas, where gangs dictate daily life and target residents with routine violence. A largely absent state has left scores of civilians defenseless in the face of increasingly depraved gang attacks, while domestic and international efforts to restore state control have stumbled amid shortages in staff and funding. Read InSight Crime’s latest report on gang control in Haiti: https://bit.ly/3Zv3qP5

InSight Crime published a story earlier this year about Mar*, a woman security forces tried to recruit as a paid informant in Tibú, Colombia. Although Mar refused, the damage was already done. The ELN guerrillas accused Mar of being an informant anyway, and displaced her and her family after torturing and threatening her. Like Mar, many more women were approached by the security forces and then left vulnerable to accusations by the ELN and FARC dissidents. This investigation was the result of a year's work and was recently awarded the Simón Bolívar National Journalism Prize in the category of investigative journalism. Read Mar's story at the link in our bio.