From InSight Crime <[email protected]>
Subject Weekly InSight | Criminal Groups in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, Seek New Revenue Streams
Date August 15, 2025 4:30 AM
  Links have been removed from this email. Learn more in the FAQ.
  Links have been removed from this email. Learn more in the FAQ.
August 15, 2025 View in your browser ([link removed])

This week, InSight Crime reported from the field ([link removed]) in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, where criminal groups that once profited from migrant flows are turning to new revenue streams as stricter US migration policies, introduced by Donald Trump, sharply reduced border crossings.

Also this week, InSight Crime found that an official recently appointed to a leadership post in the US Department of Defense previously led ([link removed]) a think tank that published false reports about Tren de Aragua activities in the United States; the alleged killing of a guerrilla commander near the Colombia-Venezuela border suggests ([link removed]) that a fragile criminal alliance has fractured; and criminal networks battling over drug routes and markets in Brazil have turned ([link removed]) the northeastern state of Ceará into one of the country’s main epicenters of violence.

This and more below.


** Next Week
------------------------------------------------------------

📅 Upcoming Event ([link removed]) | New Investigation #TrenDeAragua
[link removed]

On August 18, InSight Crime will release a three-year investigation into Tren de Aragua, separating fact from fiction about Venezuela’s most feared gang. Drawing on fieldwork in five countries, the report examines its leaders, criminal businesses, and expansion.

Join our virtual panel ([link removed]) on August 20 at 11:00 a.m. (EST), streamed on YouTube, X, Instagram, and Facebook, where our experts will discuss the key findings.


** Featured
------------------------------------------------------------
[link removed]


** As Migrant Flows Drop, Crime Groups Adapt in Ciudad Juárez ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

The tightening of US immigration policy by Donald Trump means that the number of migrants seeking to cross the US/Mexico border has dropped sharply. With shelters nearly empty, criminal groups are losing prey and a major source of criminal income, and being forced to adapt..

Read the article here > ([link removed])

See more Juarez Cartel coverage > ([link removed])


** News Analysis
------------------------------------------------------------

All News > ([link removed])
[link removed]


** Trump Official Headed Organization That Spread Fake News About Tren de Aragua ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

An official recently appointed to a leadership post in the US Department of Defense previously led a think tank that published false reports of …

The Crime Wars Driving Rising Homicides in Ceará, Brazil ([link removed])

Colombia-Venezuela Border Killing Hints at Growing Guerrilla Conflict ([link removed])

Video: Will El Salvador Reforms Help or Hinder Bukele’s Anti-Crime Fight? ([link removed])

Video: What Trump’s Directive to Target Foreign Drug Cartels With the US Military Could Mean ([link removed])


** Impact
------------------------------------------------------------

What We Do > ([link removed])
[link removed]

InSight Crime investigator and project manager Victoria Dittmar provided expert analysis to Bloomberg on how the US, under President Donald Trump, is adopting a confrontational stance toward Latin America that signals a willingness to use military force against drug cartels.

Watch our Video analysis here > ([link removed])


** Coming Soon: On The Radar
------------------------------------------------------------
[link removed]

Watch full video > ([link removed])

InSight Crime is getting ready to launch a brand new weekly newsletter and video bringing together the key stories shaping organized crime in Latin America. Subscribe now ([link removed]) for clear summaries of major developments, power shifts, and security responses impacting the region’s criminal landscape — all in one place.


** Multimedia
------------------------------------------------------------
[link removed]

Watch the full video > ([link removed])


** Who is Memo Fantasma ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

Guillermo León Acevedo Giraldo, alias “Memo Fantasma,” is a former paramilitary leader and veteran drug trafficker who managed to evade authorities by hiding behind a facade of legitimate businesses. He was first exposed by an InSight Crime investigation in 2020.


** Media Mentions
------------------------------------------------------------

About us > ([link removed])

August 13, 2025

The Guardian ([link removed])
[link removed]

"A senior official appointed to the defense department led a thinktank that promoted fake news about the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang, according to InSight Crime, a non-profit analyzing organized crime."

Read our analysis here > ([link removed])

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.

Support our work
Donate today ([link removed])

Follow us:

InSight Crime is sponsored by:
American University ([link removed])

The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency ([link removed])
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]

Copyright (C) 2025 InSight Crime. All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you have signed up to receive InSight Crime's top weekly content.
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe

This email was sent to [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])
why did I get this? ([link removed]) unsubscribe from this list ([link removed]) update subscription preferences ([link removed])
InSight Crime . 700 K Street Northwest 3rd Floor . Washington, DC 20001 . USA
Screenshot of the email generated on import

Message Analysis

  • Sender: InSight Crime
  • Political Party: n/a
  • Country: n/a
  • State/Locality: n/a
  • Office: n/a
  • Email Providers:
    • MailChimp