September 5, 2025 | View in your browser ([link removed])
This week, InSight Crime examined ([link removed]) the US military’s recent airstrike in the southern Caribbean’s international waters against alleged Tren de Aragua members, challenging claims that the organization is a terrorist group and involved in the international drug business, and raising concerns ([link removed]) that such extrajudicial killings could set a dangerous precedent in the region.
Also this week, the sentencing of a minor for the fatal shooting of Miguel Uribe Turbay underscores ([link removed]) the government’s focus on a group of guerrillas as alleged masterminds despite weak evidence; Mexico’s new National System of Investigation and Intelligence in Public Security Law risks undermining ([link removed]) privacy and exposing sensitive data to criminal or corrupt actors; El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele’s celebration of 1,000 days without homicides raises questions ([link removed]) about whether his administration’s claims overstate reality; the charges against former Interior Minister José Serrano for helping plan the 2023 assassination of a presidential candidate mark a crucial moment
([link removed]) in Ecuador’s fight against corruption.
This and more below.
** On The Radar
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** Tren de Aragua Is Not an International Drug Trafficking Group ([link removed])
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This week, we assess the troubling US airstrike on a “suspected” drug boat in the southern Caribbean and compare the facts with the Trump administration’s narrative. We also lay out what it means that one of El Chapo’s ex-lawyers just got sworn in as a judge in Mexico, and dig into the future of criminal conflict between Guyana and Venezuela following an armed attack on the border between the two countries.
** Don’t Miss It
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** 📅 Upcoming Event | How War-on-Terror Tactics Could Change the Fight Against Organized Crime
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Drone strikes on crime groups? Mass deportations? Blocking financial flows? These are some of the possibilities we’ll explore on September 26 in our donor-exclusive event. Donate ([link removed]) today to join this conversation with our experts.
** Featured
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** The US Just Bombed a ‘Narco Terrorist’ Boat. Or Did It? ([link removed])
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A US military airstrike in the southern Caribbean’s international waters, which the Trump administration claims killed 11 members of the Tren de Aragua “narco-terrorist organization,” is a concerning, deadly escalation in the current “war on drugs.”
We debunk the myths that Tren de Aragua is either a terrorist group or involved in the international drug business, and question whether these extrajudicial killings could set a dangerous precedent in a region currently rife with drug-related violence.
See our analysis here > ([link removed])
Read our Tren de Aragua coverage > ([link removed])
** News Analysis
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** All News > ([link removed])
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** 5 Things to Know About Trump’s Missile Strike in the Caribbean ([link removed])
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The United States has significantly escalated its policy of treating organized crime groups as terrorists with a lethal missile strike on .…
New Charges in Emblematic Murder Case Shake Ecuador’s Political Landscape ([link removed])
Video: Are President Bukele’s Celebrations Around Security Gains Justified? ([link removed])
Colombia Blames Guerrillas For Senator’s Killing, But With Little Evidence ([link removed])
How Mexico’s New Intelligence Law Will Impact Public Security ([link removed])
** Impact
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** What We Do > ([link removed])
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InSight Crime Co-Director Jeremy McDermott and Deputy Director of Content Mike LaSusa provided expert analysis to several international outlets, including The Washington Post ([link removed]) , DW ([link removed]) , France 24 ([link removed]) and the BBC ([link removed]) , following the September 2 US airstrike in the southern Caribbean, which targeted supposed Tren de Aragua members in a concerning and deadly escalation of the ongoing “war on drugs,” involving several groups of Venezuelan origin.
Read more Venezuela coverage > ([link removed])
** This Week's Criminal Profile: First Capital Command
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The First Capital Command (Primeiro Comando da Capital – PCC) is Brazil’s biggest and best-organized criminal network. Born in São Paulo in the 1990s, it has forged a bloody path to dominance throughout the country and has also expanded its operations abroad. This week, the group made headlines when Brazilian authorities dismantled a network that used gas stations and investment funds to launder money in one of the largest-ever operations against organized crime.
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Read our First Capital Command profile > ([link removed])
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Read our Brazil coverage > ([link removed])
** Media Mentions
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** About us > ([link removed])
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September 3, 2025
Newsweek ([link removed])
"'Some experts have also cast doubts on the strength and influence of [Tren de Aragua], a gang the Trump administration designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. Recent analysis by InSight Crime found that the gang's leadership has weakened and become more disjointed in recent years."
Read our latest Tren de Aragua investigation > ([link removed])
** Trending: Dominican Republic Designates Cartel of the Suns a Terrorist Organization
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The Dominican Republic has become the fourth Latin American country to designate Venezuela's Cartel of the Suns a terrorist organization since the US Treasury named it a Specially Designated Global Terrorist Organization in July. The designation, based on misconceptions and distortions about the nature of the drug trafficking network, came on the same day the US launched a deadly airstrike against a boat manned by what it claimed were "narco-terrorists" from Venezuela.
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** US Sanctions Mischaracterize Venezuela’s Cartel of the Suns ([link removed])
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** What Cliver Alcalá’s Sentencing Means for Venezuela’s Cartel of the Suns ([link removed])
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Read our Cartel of the Suns profile > ([link removed])
** Support our work ([link removed])
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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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