** Weekly InSight
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March 7, 2025
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This week, InSight Crime analyzed ([link removed]) how criminal groups across the region have evolved in their use of drones. What began as a rudimentary technology—akin to mechanized carrier pigeons used to smuggle messages and weapons into prisons—has transformed into a sophisticated tool of crime. Today, drones are widely used by criminal groups for aerial attacks, smuggling illicit goods, and instilling fear in civilians and communities.
We also explored the criminal careers of two drug traffickers: Marco Ebben ([link removed]) , a Dutch national whose role in the Sinaloa Cartel suggests that European traffickers are not just customers but are integrated into the group’s structure, and Rafael Caro Quintero ([link removed]) , the infamous leader of the Guadalajara Cartel involved in the murder of a DEA agent. Additionally, we questioned ([link removed]) whether a series of Mexican security operations targeting the country’s top criminal groups will be enough to satisfy the Trump administration, and examined ([link removed]) the rise in coca cultivation in Honduras, considering whether what began as an experiment has now become an established
business.
** Featured
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** Drones Fuel Criminal Arms Race in Latin America ([link removed])
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Organized crime in Latin America has found drones to be an effective and modern tactical advantage. In countries like Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Panama, criminal groups are increasingly using these aerial devices to confront security forces, transport illicit goods, and intimidate communities.
After emerging unscathed from a March 1 raid on his territorial enclave in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, notorious gang leader Jimmy Chérizier, alias "Barbecue," threatened to use explosive-laden drones in retaliation for the attack by the authorities.
Read the article here > ([link removed])
See more coverage from Mexico > ([link removed])
** New Episode: The Shadow of El Dorado ([link removed])
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** Episode 4: Meet the New Boss ([link removed])
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This week, we released the fourth episode ([link removed]) of our first investigative podcast series: The Shadow of El Dorado: Unearthing Colombia’s Blood Gold ([link removed]) . Over the course of seven episodes, we explore the enigmatic history behind the downfall of Segovia, a once-prosperous mining town in Colombia that has become a stronghold for organized crime.
We expose how not only mafias and criminal groups, but also politicians and business elites, have tainted the global gold supply with death, corruption, and devastation.
All episodes are available on our website and on major podcast platforms > ([link removed])
** NewsAnalysis
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All News > ([link removed])
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** The Many Lives of Caro Quintero’s Criminal Career ([link removed])
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After four decades of successful maneuvering to avoid extradition to the United States, Mexican authorities finally put an end to the notorious criminal career of Rafael Caro Quintero when they sent him … ([link removed])
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** Can Mexico’s President Appease Trump With Anti-Crime Crackdown? ([link removed])
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Authorities in Mexico have carried out a series of unprecedented security operations in a crackdown on the country’s top criminal … ([link removed])
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** Honduras Sees Record Number of Municipalities Growing Coca ([link removed])
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Cultivation of coca for cocaine production continued to spread to new municipalities in Honduras in 2024, suggesting that what may have started as an experiment is now … ([link removed])
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** The Life and ‘Death’ of the Sinaloa Cartel’s Dutch Emissary: Is This Time for Real? ([link removed])
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After faking his own death multiple times, Dutch drug trafficker Marco Ebben has finally met his end in … ([link removed])
** Impact
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What We Do > ([link removed])
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Since its publication, our annual Homicide Roundup has been cited by current and former leaders across the region, including Argentine President Javier Milei ([link removed]) , former Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa ([link removed]) , and Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader ([link removed]) .
In addition to mentions from major media outlets such as France 24 ([link removed]) and El País ([link removed]) , the global data company Statista ([link removed]) updated its website using data from our past 10 years of homicide roundups as a main source.
Read our 2024 Homicide Round-Up > ([link removed])
Explore our coverage of Homicides > ([link removed])
** This Week's Criminal Profile: Gaitanistas – Gulf Clan ([link removed])
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The Gaitanistas, also known as the Gulf Clan, Urabeños, and Gaitanist Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (Autodefensas Gaitanistas de Colombia – AGC), emerged from the remnants of Colombia’s paramilitary movement to become the country’s dominant criminal organization, with a nationwide presence. The group plays a significant role in Colombia’s complex illegal mining landscape, particularly along the Caribbean and Pacific coasts.
The AGC’s involvement in these illicit economies is the focus of the third episode ([link removed]) of our new podcast series, The Shadow of El Dorado.
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Read our Gaitanistas – Gulf Clan profile > ([link removed])
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Check out the third episode of ([link removed])
The Shadow of El Dorado podcast, “Them” > ([link removed])
** Media Mentions
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About us > ([link removed])
March 3, 2025
CNN ([link removed])
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** "Founded by former members of the Mexican Special Forces and once powerful, according to InSight Crime, the Los Zetas cartel is currently weak and fragmented. ([link removed]) "
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Read our profile of the Zetas > ([link removed])
** Trending Topic: Haiti Gang Leader Threatens Revenge After Government Operation
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Authorities in Haiti launched an operation on the Delmas 6 neighborhood of the capital Port-au-Prince targeting the notorious gang leader Jimmy Chérizier, alias “Barbecue,” and the G9 and Family. Despite initial reports that Chérizier had been shot and possibly killed, he escaped unharmed and went on to threaten to take revenge on the government forces that coordinated the attack.
Read our profile of Jimmy Chérizier, alias “Barbecue” > ([link removed])
Explore our coverage of Haiti > ([link removed])
Support our work
We go into the field to interview, report and investigate. We then verify, write and edit, providing the tools to generate real impact in fighting organized crime.
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InSight Crime is sponsored by:
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The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency ([link removed])
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