Weekly InSight

This week, we analyzed the crumbling inner circle of Sebastián Marset, the Uruguayan drug trafficker who has evaded authorities since 2019. The arrest and pending extradition of Marset’s life partner, Gianina García Troche, follows a string of arrests of other close allies as his criminal network unravels. 


We also investigated the conflicting narratives surrounding the arrest of Sinaloa Cartel leader El Mayo, Mexico’s most elusive drug lord, and how they are fueling US-Mexican tensions. 


In addition, we explored why worship of Santa Muerte by criminal actors continues to spread beyond Mexico; we uncovered the growing role of technology in criminal operations in Brazil; and we explained why the arrest of a key member of the Guatemalan cabinet signals the intensification of the fight against the government’s anti-corruption efforts.


This and more below.

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The pending extradition of yet another alleged key player in Sebatián Marset’s money laundering schemes marks his latest setback, as the drug trafficker’s network appears to unravel.


Paraguay, Bolivia, and Spain met on August 9 to discuss the extradition of Gianina García Troche, the life partner and purported business manager of  Marset, for allegedly laundering millions in drug money. The extradition requests by Paraguay and Bolivia follow her arrest on July 17 at Madrid’s international airport, as she flew in from Dubai. 


Read the article here > 

See more coverage from Uruguay >

Calling all journalists, researchers, communications students, media professionals and anyone else committed to the fight against disinformation: 


On Friday, August 30, InSight Crime investigators Juliana Manjarrés and Christopher Newton will lead a virtual workshop where they will explain the essential concepts of data-driven investigative journalism and provide key skills in using data analysis to counter disinformation.


The workshop is free and will run from 10:00-12:00 Colombian time. Sign up via the link below. See you there!


Sign up to the workshop >

This Week's Criminal Profile: First Capital Command – PCC

Brazil’s largest criminal group, the First Capital Command (Primeiro Comando da Capital – PCC), has been accused by the São Paulo Civil Police of attempting to expand its influence into the world of politics. The group has allegedly illicitly financed candidates and used violence to interfere with municipal elections in São Paulo. 


The PCC’s incursion into the world of politics is not so much a departure as it is a natural evolution for the group, who have increasingly used municipal contracts to stretch their presence into the public domain in recent years.

Trending Topic: “El Mayo” Zambada Claims He Was Taken to the United States Against His Will

In a statement released by his lawyer, Ismael Zambada, alias “El Mayo,” claimed he was tricked by Joaquín Guzmán López, son of Joaquín Guzmán Loera, alias “El Chapo,” into attending a meeting before being kidnapped and flown to the United States against his will. 


While El Mayo’s arrest is a major symbolic success for the United States, it remains to be seen whether it will significantly impact the Sinaloa Cartel’s operations. 


InSight Crime continues to provide critical analysis of this story as it develops. To learn more, read the article below or check out our El Mayo profile: 

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