This week, InSight Crime’s investigation into elusive drug trafficker Memo Fantasma made waves once again in Colombia

Weekly InSight
April 23, 2021 ([link removed])

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This week, InSight Crime’s investigation into elusive drug trafficker Memo Fantasma made waves once again in Colombia after a hearing where his lawyer said he would file criminal libel accusations against InSight Crime Co-director Jeremy McDermott. Press freedom groups, which have long decried the use of Colombia’s criminal libel laws to silence investigative journalism, criticized the move to open an inquiry by the Attorney General’s Office.

On the organized crime front this week, we took an in-depth look at the security challenges facing the newly elected president of Ecuador -- a country that has become a major exporter of cocaine and has seen unprecedented gang violence recently. Other highlights included a look at how former Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales' ousting of an anti-corruption body has come back to haunt him; a review of a watchdog report on how pacts between gangs and public officials in El Salvador fuel disappearances; and a report on the arrest of a veteran Bolivian trafficker who once provided cocaine to Pablo Escobar.


** Featured
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** ‘Memo Fantasma’ Initiates Criminal Proceeding Against InSight Crime Director ([link removed])
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An elusive drug trafficker has brought a criminal libel case against InSight Crime Co-director Jeremy McDermott, despite widespread official confirmation of the findings of InSight Crime’s two-year investigation.

During an initial virtual hearing on April 20, David Espinosa Acuña, the lawyer representing the accuser, Guillermo León Acevedo Giraldo, alias “Memo Fantasma” — who did not appear — said his client is not willing to compromise and wanted to press on with criminal charges against McDermott.

Read the analysis > ([link removed])
Read our statement on why we firmly stand behind our investigation > ([link removed])


** NewsAnalysis
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All News ([link removed]) >
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** 4 Security Challenges Awaiting Ecuador’s Next President ([link removed])
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Ecuador’s next president will face an unprecedented set of security challenges, as prison violence has soared to record levels...

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** The Last Ride of an Ally of Pablo Escobar ([link removed])
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A one-time associate of Pablo Escobar, who spent 27 years in prison in the United States, is behind bars once again – this time in Peru – showing how older generations...

Report: Soaring Disappearances in El Salvador Linked to Gang Pacts ([link removed])
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The Impressive Tunnelling Skills of Mexico’s Gas Thieves ([link removed])
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Cocaine Spike Puts Spotlight on Honduras Atlantic ([link removed])
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Colombia Decides EPL is No Longer Major Threat ([link removed])
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Closing Prisons Only Postpones Real Issues in Mexico ([link removed])
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Private Jets Laden With Cocaine Travel from Brazil to Europe ([link removed])
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Guatemala’s War Between Morales and CICIG Not Over Yet ([link removed])
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Colombia’s Guerrillas Bring Landmines to Venezuela ([link removed])


** Criminal Actors
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Profiles of some of the notable criminal personalities and groups that have marked this week.

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** MS13 ([link removed])
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The Mara Salvatrucha, or MS13, is perhaps the most notorious street gang in the Western Hemisphere. While it has its...
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** EPL ([link removed])
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The dissidence of the EPL, which the security forces call Los Pelusos, is the dissidence of the guerrilla group...


** Media Mentions
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About Us ([link removed])
APRIL 21, 2021
COMMITTEE TO PROTECT JOURNALISTS ([link removed])

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"Colombian authorities should move quickly to resolve and dismiss the criminal suit against Jeremy McDermott."

The Invisible Drug Lord: Hunting ‘The Ghost’ ([link removed])


** Impact
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What We do ([link removed])
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** Tracking Migrant Smuggling at US-Mexico Border
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InSight Crime Co-Director Steven Dudley was interviewed by the Tijuana radio station Uniradioinforma ([link removed]) about human smuggling methods along the US-Mexico border. In this segment (at 1:30) ([link removed]) , he discusses a recent InSight Crime report ([link removed]) on how smugglers use color-coded bracelets to coordinate journeys and track migrants crossing illegally into Texas. The bracelets are a way to separate migrants, ensuring they paid to move through territory controlled by criminal groups. It’s also a reminder that migrants fall into classes, Dudley said, from those who travel alone at great risk to those who can pay to avoid some of the dangers of the journey.
Read more coverage of human smuggling > ([link removed])


** Our Trending Topics
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INVISIBLES ([link removed])
COCAINE ([link removed])
US/MEXICO BORDER ([link removed])
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