This week, InSight Crime analyzed how the Trump administration’s decision to return a high-profile gang boss facing terrorism charges to El Salvador as part of a broader effort to deport hundreds of Venezuelan citizens raises questions about the US government’s commitment to its longstanding MS13 crackdown. By dismissing charges against César Humberto López Larios, alias “Greñas,” the administration appears to be prioritizing mass deportation over prosecuting MS13 leaders on US soil, a key pillar of its fight against transnational gangs.
We also examined why the arrest of Guatemala’s most wanted fugitive may not be enough to dismantle the drug trafficking network he led; spoke with an expert about how a new data collection system could help combat human trafficking; scrutinized the role of private security companies in Colombia’s criminal landscape; and explored how mass migration from Venezuela has enabled organized crime groups to tighten their grip on areas left behind by fleeing residents.
