June 27, 2025
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This week, Ecuadorian security forces captured ([link removed]) the country’s most notorious criminal leader in a crucial, though largely symbolic, win in its “war on gangs.” A joint operation by police and military on June 25 led to the capture of Adolfo Macías Villamar, alias “Fito,” leader of the Choneros, one of Ecuador’s top drug trafficking groups.
Also this week, in a unique case, the US government announced ([link removed]) sanctions against several leaders of the Jalisco Cartel for their alleged role in a gender-based killing; we reviewed the new Netflix docuseries “Cocaine Air,” which highlights ([link removed]) just one part of the cocaine pipeline to Europe; and we explore how legal concerns and mounting civilian casualties from a wave of drone strikes in Haiti, which has reportedly killed ([link removed]) hundreds of alleged gang members, have raised questions about the strategy’s long-term effectiveness.
This and more below.
** Featured
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** The Fall of Fito: What It Means — and Doesn’t — for Ecuador’s Underworld ([link removed])
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Ecuadorian security forces captured the country’s most notorious criminal leader in a crucial — though largely symbolic — win in its “war on gangs.”
A joint operation by police and military on June 25 led to the capture of Adolfo Macías Villamar, alias “Fito,” leader of the Choneros, one of Ecuador’s top drug trafficking groups.
The operation, which reportedly lasted 10 hours, led security forces to a mansion in Montecristi, a town just outside Manta, Fito’s home city. Pictures and videos circulating on social media show soldiers opening what appears to be a trap door in the floor of the mansion, leading to a bunker in which Fito was hiding.
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** News Analysis
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** Drone Strikes Shake Haiti’s Gangs but Leave Legal and Strategic Questions ([link removed])
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A wave of drone strikes has reportedly killed hundreds of alleged gang members in Port-au-Prince and temporarily shaken Haiti’s criminal landscape, but legal concerns and …
‘Cocaine Air’ Explained: Behind the Cocaine Pipeline to Europe ([link removed])
In Rare Case, US Sanctions Jalisco Cartel Leader for Femicide in Mexico ([link removed])
** Impact
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What We Do > ([link removed])
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InSight Crime investigator Juan Camilo Jaramillo offered authoritative analysis for an article by La Silla Vacía regarding the attempted assassination of Colombian presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe Turbay. As authorities investigate who was behind the attack on June 7, multiple theories have surfaced, though none of them are supported by solid evidence. Both government and opposition officials have blamed drug trafficking groups, with various possible motives: from pressuring the Petro administration to trying to sway the outcome of the 2026 election.
Read our analysis here > ([link removed])
** This Week's Criminal Profile: Choneros
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The Choneros are among Ecuador’s most prominent criminal groups, playing a central role in the country’s recent violence. This week, the gang leader, Jose Adolfo Macias Villamar, alias “Fito,” was recaptured on January 25 in a joint operation between the Ecuadorian police and army.
Fito had been on the run since January 2024, when he escaped from his stronghold and center of criminal operations, Guayaquil’s La Regional prison — the same prison where authorities took him after his latest capture. While the Choneros have survived numerous setbacks over the years, their future will depend on adapting to the rapidly evolving criminal landscape.
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Read our Choneros profile > ([link removed])
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Read our Ecuador coverage > ([link removed])
** Multimedia
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June 22, 2025
#ElMonstruo #Peru
"Erick Moreno Hernández, alias “El Monstruo,” is now Peru’s most wanted criminal.
His case reveals a major shift in Peru’s criminal landscape: extortion is no longer just a local street crime. It's now organized, transnational, and increasingly central to the country’s rising violence."
Watch full video > ([link removed])
** Media Mentions
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About us > ([link removed])
June 25, 2025
CNN ([link removed])
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"Insight Crime [...] said in October that Tren de Aragua’s 'reputation appears to have grown more quickly than its actual presence in the United States.'"
Read our Tren de Aragua coverage > ([link removed])
** Trending: US Targets Tren de Aragua Leader
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The US Department of the Treasury announced sanctions against Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano, alias “El Viejo,” leader of the transnational criminal group, Tren de Aragua. The FBI also named him one of the organization’s most wanted, and the Justice Department unsealed a criminal indictment against him and another gang leader for terrorism and international drug trafficking charges.
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** US Labels Tren de Aragua a Transnational Criminal Threat ([link removed])
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** Debunking 3 Myths About Tren de Aragua ([link removed])
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Read our Tren de Aragua profile > ([link removed])
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