This week, InSight Crime examined how criminal groups in Ecuador are exploiting the rapidly expanding private security sector.
** Weekly InSight
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September 12, 2024
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This week, InSight Crime examined ([link removed]) how criminal groups in Ecuador are exploiting the rapidly expanding private security sector, which has close ties to the government. Several cases have revealed how criminals have allegedly used some private security companies to legitimize their operations, smuggle weapons, and launder money.
We also look at "express kidnappings" ([link removed]) in Ecuador through the account of a survivor; analyze ([link removed]) the growing criminal activities of the dissidents from the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in Huila, Colombia; delve into the ongoing battle ([link removed]) for control of Rio de Janeiro between the Red Command and the militias that have dominated the city's poorest neighborhoods for at least a decade; and review a statistical model’s ([link removed]) grim forecast on homicides in Trinidad and Tobago.
** Featured
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** How Ecuador’s Criminals Are Taking Advantage of Private Security Firms ([link removed])
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Private security companies have proliferated in Ecuador as crime rates soar, but mounting evidence of criminal infiltration suggests the industry may be serving the interests of criminals as much as the private sector and the government.
One notable case involves Carlos Joel G.C., alias "Carlitos," a drug trafficker from Guayaquil who, according to the Ministry of Interior, ran one of the country's "largest and most sophisticated" organizations. Carlitos used a fleet of armored vehicles to transport cocaine to shrimp farms surrounding Guayaquil's numerous estuaries, where speedboats then ferried tons of drugs to cargo ships near the city's port terminals.
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** News Analysis
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** Ecuador’s Kidnapping Epidemic, Told by a Survivor ([link removed])
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“In those moments, I swear to you, you can’t even remember your mother’s name,” Felipe* told InSight Crime about the moment he tried to remember his iCloud password … ([link removed])
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** Divisions Over Peace Talks Spark Surge in Armed Activity in Huila, Colombia ([link removed])
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Criminal activity has escalated in a key transit corridor in southern Colombia, driven by divisions between ex-FARC factions in the …
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** Inside the Battle for Rio de Janeiro: Red Command Versus Militias ([link removed])
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In Rio de Janeiro, one of Brazil’s biggest and most iconic cities, the balance of power may be shifting from militias to one of the … ([link removed])
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** Prediction: Rising Homicides in Trinidad & Tobago Amid Gang Violence ([link removed])
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Gang violence in Trinidad and Tobago is on the rise, and without significant policy … ([link removed])
** Next Week: Virtual event on crime in Durán.
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Join us on Thursday, September 26 at 11:00 am (Quito) for a virtual event to discuss the findings of our investigation, “Durán: A Window into the Explosion of Organized Crime in Ecuador,” which will be published that same morning.
Panelists include InSight Crime co-director Steven Dudley and Ecuadorian journalists and InSight Crime collaborators Alina Manrique and Leonardo Gómez Ponce. The panel will be moderated by Katherine Herrera, a consultant and expert in Ecuadorian security.
See more event details and save the date > ([link removed])
** Impact
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On September 3, InSight Crime released a video showing Carlos Zelaya, brother-in-law to Honduras’ President Xiomara Castro, negotiating bribes with drug traffickers.
Within minutes, the publication had made headlines across major media outlets in the region. To date we have tracked nearly 1,000 media mentions, primarily from outlets in Honduras, Mexico, and the United States.
The videos, which have garnered 119,000 views, prompted President Xiomara Castro to issue a public statement condemning "any negotiations between politicians and drug traffickers," while accusing the report of being part of a U.S. government conspiracy to destabilize her administration.
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Watch the full video > ([link removed])
** This Week's Criminal Profile: Los Choneros
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Los Choneros is one of Ecuador's most notorious criminal groups, first emerging in the late '90s as a drug trafficking network based in the coastal city of Manta on Ecuador's Pacific coast.
One of its former leaders, Junior Roldán, alias "JR," had ties to a security company registered under his ex-partner and son's names. Before his assassination in May 2023, JR used the company for PR activities, such as handing out gifts in a neighborhood near Guayaquil. Explore our profile of Los Choneros to learn how this criminal group capitalized on Ecuador’s expanding private security industry.
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Read our profile on Los Choneros > ([link removed])
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See our coverage on Ecuador > ([link removed])
** Multimedia
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September 11, 2024
"Authorities in several U.S. cities have reported crimes allegedly committed by the Tren de Aragua. However, the group has suffered heavy blows to its structure, weakening and disorganizing its leadership across the continent."
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See our coverage of the Tren de Aragua > ([link removed])
** Media Mentions
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September 12, 2024
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"A decade ago, gangs like MS-13 and Barrio 18 terrorized communities, and El Salvador was the most violent nation in the Western Hemisphere, according to InSight Crime."
See our coverage on El Salvador > ([link removed])
** Trending Topic: El Mencho's Son Faces Drug Trafficking Trial in the U.S.
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Rubén Oseguera González, alias "El Menchito," son of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and also known as “El Mencho,” had his first hearing for drug trafficking and other charges in Washington. Read more about the former second-in-command of the CJNG and what his trial could mean for crime in Mexico.
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** Mexico Captures CJNG Leader, Investigates Links With Vigilantes ([link removed])
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** Jalisco Cartel New Generation (CJNG) ([link removed])
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Read our profile on CJNG > ([link removed])
Support out work
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InSight Crime is sponsored by:
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