September 19, 2025 | View in your browser ([link removed])
This week, InSight Crime reported from the ground ([link removed]) on the edges of Rosario, the Argentine crime hub where residents said violence has not stopped despite official claims of progress. We also visited ([link removed]) the city’s Piñero prison to observe how the Monos gang retains influence amid lockdowns and overcrowding.
Also this week, Colombia’s decertification as an ally to the US in the war on drugs is so far a symbolic, but significant move ([link removed]) , and a warning to President Petro, as US anti-narcotics assistance will continue to flow ([link removed]) to the Andean nation.
This and more below.
** WATCH: On The Radar ([link removed])
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This week, we analyze another US missile strike in the region, what the decertification of Colombia in the US war on drugs means, and the sentencing of seven former FARC leaders for kidnapping and war crimes during decades of armed conflict.
Watch the full video here > ([link removed])
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** 📅Don’t Miss Our Upcoming Event | How War-on-Terror Tactics Could Change the Fight Against Organized Crime ([link removed])
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Drone strikes on suspected 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 today ([link removed]) to join this conversation with our experts.
** Featured
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** Is Rosario, Argentina Getting Safer? Depends Who We Asked. ([link removed])
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“After this, you’re going to need some mental health care,” laughed Gaby, trying to inject some levity into an interview with InSight Crime about life in the violent and downtrodden neighborhoods skimming the Argentine city of Rosario.
A gang war “detonated a whole wave of crimes,” said Gaby, adding that a lot of people from the slums were murdered. “They were kids from our neighborhoods.”
See our analysis here > ([link removed])
Read more Argentina coverage > ([link removed])
** News Analysis
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** All News > ([link removed])
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Behind Bars in Argentina’s Organized Crime Hotspot ([link removed])
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US Pressures Colombia With Threat of Anti-Drug Aid Cuts ([link removed])
** Impact
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** What We Do > ([link removed])
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As international attention turns to the US government’s escalating War on Drugs policies, InSight Crime’s deputy director of content Mike LaSusa joined the “Angry Planet” podcast to provide expert analysis amid rising tensions following President Donald Trump’s September 2 announcement that a military strike against a suspected drug-carrying vessel in the southern Caribbean killed 11 alleged traffickers.
Check out the podcast on Spotify > ([link removed])
Read our analysis here > ([link removed])
** This Week's Criminal Profile: Mayiza
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The Mayiza, also known as the Mayos, is a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel linked to longtime leader Ismael Zambada García, alias “El Mayo.” Following his controversial arrest in 2024, the cell is currently led by one of his sons, Ismael Zambada Sicairos, alias “Mayito Flaco.” This week, the group made headlines after US authorities offered $5 million for information leading to the arrest of Juan José Ponce Félix, alias “El Ruso,” the alleged leader of the faction’s armed wing.
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Read our Mayiza profile > ([link removed])
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Read our Mexico coverage > ([link removed])
** Media Mentions
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** About us > ([link removed])
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September 16, 2025
The Latin Times ([link removed])
"According to InSight Crime, each faction of the Sinaloa Cartel has relied on loyal armed groups to secure and expand its territory."
Read our Sinaloa Cartel coverage > ([link removed])
** Trending: Colombia’s Peace Court Issues First Ruling Against FARC Leadership
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The Special Jurisdiction for Peace (Jurisdicción Especial para la Paz – JEP), the transitional tribunal created under the 2016 Peace Accord between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia – FARC) and the Colombian government, has handed down its first ruling against seven former leaders of the FARC group for their role in kidnapping and other war crimes.
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** The Endless Battle for Bajo Cauca: Colombia’s Criminal Crown Jewel ([link removed])
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** Five Years into Colombia Peace Process, Ex-FARC Fighters Continue to Flee ([link removed])
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Read our Colombia 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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InSight Crime is sponsored by:
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