May 16, 2025
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How are cocaine flows shifting, and what does that mean for Latin America and beyond?
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This week, InSight Crime analyzed ([link removed]) how the Sinaloa Cartel’s internal war is pushing the economy to a breaking point in Culiacán, the capital of Sinaloa state. Many experts say this may provide an opportunity to look beyond drug trafficking and rebuild Sinaloa’s economy.
Also this week, a report by the World Bank brings ([link removed]) a renewed focus to the impact of organized crime on economic development in Latin America and the Caribbean; the massacre of 13 mine workers highlights ([link removed]) how Peru’s mining gangs have developed into criminal behemoths; we explore ([link removed]) the role of lax firearms controls in the expansion of organized crime in Ecuador in recent; and we delve ([link removed]) into the prospects of the Sinaloa Cartel amid its ongoing internal power struggle.
This and more below.
** Featured
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** As Sinaloa Cartel War Rages On, An Economy Bleeds Dry in Culiacán, Mexico ([link removed])
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One morning in September 2024, Ana Rosa Sánchez* arrived early to begin her morning routine at a seafood restaurant in Altata, a small fishing village in the Pacific coast state of Sinaloa. But as she awaited her first clients, her phone started buzzing. Culiacán had erupted into chaos with reports of gunfights, killings, and arson attacks.
Without thinking twice, Sánchez closed the metal doors to the restaurant and locked them shut. She wouldn’t open them again for four months.
Read the article here > ([link removed])
See more coverage of the Sinaloa Cartel > ([link removed])
** News Analysis
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** Crime Limits Growth in Latin America, Says World Bank ([link removed])
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A report from the World Bank brings a renewed focus to the impact of organized crime on economic development in Latin America and the Caribbean …
Peru Massacre Exposes Mining Gangs’ Power ([link removed])
Illegal Arms Trafficking Is Ecuador’s Security Blind Spot ([link removed])
Is This the End of Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel? ([link removed])
** Impact
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What We Do > ([link removed])
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As violence linked to the Sinaloa Cartel’s internal rift reshapes criminal dynamics in Mexico, InSight Crime contributed its expertise to a new report by Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED). Investigator Parker Asmann was consulted for the publication “How the Sinaloa Cartel Rift Is Redrawing Mexico’s Criminal Map,” which analyzes the fracture of the Sinaloa Cartel as a structural turning point in Mexico’s criminal landscape after the arrest of Ismael Zambada García, alias “El Mayo.”
Read more about the Sinaloa Cartel > ([link removed])
** This Week's Criminal Profile: Border Command
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The Border Command is one of southern Colombia’s most powerful criminal groups. Its position in the department of Putumayo, one of the country’s top coca-growing regions, provides it with significant influence over the cocaine supply chain. The group was recently linked to a deadly attack on Ecuadorian soldiers during an operation against illegal mining, underscoring its expanding presence beyond Colombia.
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Read our Border Command profile > ([link removed])
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Read our Colombia coverage > ([link removed])
** Multimedia
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"In 2024, cocaine trafficking – which was already on the rise – reached unprecedented levels. Ecuador made the largest seizure the world has ever seen, while several other countries also broke national records. Meanwhile, organized crime expanded to new regions, looking for untapped markets where they can sell their never-ending supply of cocaine."
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** Media Mentions
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May 13, 2025
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"Collectively known as ‘Los Chapitos,’ the brothers are thought to have been brought into the cartel as teenagers to learn the ins and outs of the organization, according to the think tank InSight Crime."
Read our Chapitos profile > ([link removed])
** Trending: Alleged Ex-FARC Members Kill 11 Soldiers in Ecuador
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During an operation against illegal mining in Orellana, Ecuador, 11 Ecuadorian soldiers were killed in an armed attack attributed to the Border Command. Although the Colombian criminal group denied involvement in the attacks, in recent years it has expanded its criminal activities into Ecuador and Peru.
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** Expanding Drug Trafficking on Peru’s Borders With Colombia and Brazil ([link removed])
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** Ex-FARC Civil War in Putumayo Tests Colombia Government’s Resolve ([link removed])
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See our coverage of the Border Command > ([link removed])
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