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This week, InSight Crime examined the limited impact that an additional sentence might have on Ariel Cantero, known as "Guille," the leader of the Argentine gang the Monos, whose prison sentences now total 160 years. For decades, the Monos operated under the leadership of the Cantero family, but with the capture of its key figures, the gang has transformed into a network of small, franchise-like cells. Although Guille is believed to manage the organization from behind bars, its decentralized structure presents a significant challenge for Argentine authorities.
We also explore the global surge in gold prices fueling illegal mining profits in Peru; examine how the arrest of a broker facilitating Venezuelan oil sales in the United States could pose serious obstacles for Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro's regime; report on the increasing importance of Chile’s Arica port as a critical hub for Bolivian drug trafficking networks; and highlight how Venezuelan prison gangs continue to thrive despite the government’s interventions in the penitentiary system.
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The leader of Argentina’s most notorious criminal group may see another sentence of 25 years added to his tally, although this will do little to stifle the gang’s activities or his leadership.
On November 4, prosecutors requested additional time for a 2021 kidnapping-for-ransom case for Ariel Cantero, alias “Guille,” head of Rosario’s Monos gang.
Should the petition succeed, Cantero’s cumulative sentences for past convictions could total 160 years, though the actual sentence would be capped at 50 years — the maximum sentence permitted by Argentine law, according to newspaper La Nación.
Read the article > |
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| | The earnings from Illegally extracted gold in Peru have soared to record levels fueling criminal organizations. |
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| | The arrest of a prominent Venezuelan oil broker in the United States may signal turbulent times ahead for Nicolás Maduro. |
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| | The massive recent seizure of cocaine precursor at Chile’s Arica port underscores its growing role. |
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| | The intervention in yet another Venezuelan prison under criminal leaders’ control highlights the ongoing failure of the regime. |
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The United Kingdom government referenced numerous InSight Crime articles, analyses, and criminal profiles in its public guide on criminal groups and gangs operating in Colombia, published on November 14.
In this guide, the UK government acknowledged our expertise and extensive work in the region on organized crime. InSight Crime continuously investigates the dynamics between society and organized crime in Colombia and Latin America.
Read our coverage on Colombia to learn more > |
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This Week's Criminal Profile: First Capital Command (PCC)
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The Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), or First Command of the Capital, is Brazil's largest and most organized criminal network. It originated in São Paulo in the 1990s and has violently paved its way to criminal power throughout the country. This week, an informant lawyer for the PCC was killed in broad daylight at São Paulo International Airport by two armed men after his flight landed. According to Brazilian authorities, the murder was meticulously planned and serves as evidence of the criminal organization’s significant influence.
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El Salvador President Nayib Bukele has recognized that his government arrested — and later released — 8,000 innocent people as part of a ruthless crackdown on street gangs that began in 2022. Last year, InSight Crime told the story of Johana Flores, a young woman thrown into jail despite having no established gang links and whose family had long been targeted by gang extortion. Johana was later released, but human rights organizations estimate that thousands of innocent Salvadorans remain in jail.
Read our article on Joahana’s story> |
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| "Victoria Dittmar, a Mexican crime investigator, said that all the current violence could be traced to the cartel war. It exploded after Zambada’s arrest,’ said the analyst at InSight Crime. ‘Now it’s a full-on conflict,’ she said."
Read our coverage on Mexico > |
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Trending Topic: Riot in an Ecuadorian Prison Leaves at Least 15 Dead |
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Ecuador's largest prison, the Litoral Penitentiary in Guayas, became a scene of violence, leaving 15 dead and 14 injured after a clash erupted in one of its cell blocks. This incident underscores the security crisis facing the Ecuadorian government within its prison system. In response, authorities launched an operation to regain control as investigations into the causes of the violence continue. |
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