This week, InSight Crime received a special mention from Columbia University's prestigious Maria Moors Cabot Prizes for our coverage of organized crime in the Americas over the past 15 years.

Continuing with our mission, we covered the publication of a list of nearly 30 women threatened by a criminal group for being linked to rival gang members in Colombia, delving into how criminal groups use femicides, humiliation, and other forms of gender-based violence as a weapon of war and a mechanism for territorial control.

In addition, we analyzed the challenges posed by the beheading of a Mexican mayor for the country's new president, Claudia Sheinbaum; we explained what we know about the alleged presence and activities of Tren de Aragua in the United States; we discussed with the director of AMERIPOL's Cybercrime Center the alarming increase in cybercrime in Latin America; and we looked into accusations the DEA delayed reporting human rights abuses by its partners in the region.

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Violence Against Women Is Being Used as a Weapon of War in Colombia. Again.

In Quibdó, Colombia, local criminal gangs have put women in their crosshairs because of their links to rival groups, resorting to gender-based violence as a strategy for territorial control.

In early September, the Gaitanista Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (Autodefensas Gaitanistas de Colombia – AGC) disseminated a list with the names and photographs of at least 27 women via WhatsApp chats. All of the women had some kind of relationship with members of other criminal groups operating in Quibdo, the capital of Colombia’s Pacific coast department of Chocó. The strategy was dubbed “Plan Feminicidio” by the group.

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This week, InSight Crime received a special mention from Columbia University’s prestigious Maria Moors Cabot Prizes for outstanding reporting in the Americas.

The jury praised our work in deepening understanding of organized crime and its impact in the Americas with on-the-ground investigative reporting, data analysis, and research into criminal dynamics. They also recognized that our fearless reporting and rigorous investigations have made us a resource for journalists, academics, civil society leaders, government officials, and policymakers who want to learn more about organized crime.

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This Week's Criminal Profile: Larry Amaury Álvarez Núñez, alias ‘Larry Changa’

Recently, the alleged presence of the Tren de Aragua in the United States became the center of national political debate, received extensive media coverage, and generated debates among politicians. The criminal organization took advantage of the large-scale migration of Venezuelans to evolve from a prison gang to a criminal empire with a transnational presence.

“Larry Changa” is one of the co-founders and original leaders of the Tren de Aragua. He was born in 1977 in Venezuela and began his criminal career by stealing vehicles and spare parts in the states of Aragua and Carabobo in the late 1990s. Changa’s reputation grew outside his home country, and his experience and leadership were instrumental in the organization’s cells being established in Chile.

Trending Topic: Violence Surges in Callao, Peru During State of Emergency

As extortion gangs rise in Peru, groups have begun warring over territory. The violence has hit the port city Callao particularly hard, as the trafficking hub faces yet another wave of killings. Meanwhile the government declared a new state of emergency as it struggles to rein in crime.

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