Rastrojos News
GameChangers 2018: Venezuelan Migration a New Gold Mine for Organized Crime
Turbulence reigned in 2018, but there was one constant: the flow of Venezuelans fleeing their country. The unceasing migration has left thousands of people homeless, penniless and ripe for exploitation by organized crime...
Rastrojos Profile
Rastrojos
The Rastrojos were born out of the powerful Norte del Valle drug cartel and rose to become one of the most powerful transnational criminal syndicates in Colombia, until their top leadership surrendered or was captured in...
More Rastrojos News
Analysis /
Shifting Criminal Dynamics Signal Violent Future for Colombia-Venezuela Border
Venezuela’s continued spiral into economic, political and social crisis and the demobilization of Colombia’s largest guerrilla group have shifted criminal...
Brief /
Chaos in Venezuela Contributing to Resurgence of Colombia’s Rastrojos?
Ongoing political and economic chaos in Venezuela may be aiding the resurgence of the Rastrojos, once one of Colombia's most powerful crime groups -- a worrying...
Brief /
Colombian Criminal Arrest Reminder of Dissolved Cartel’s Influence
Authorities arrested a former leader of a now dissolved Colombian drug trafficking organization, a sign that the group's legacy in the country's underworld lives...
Brief /
Plea Deal Lands Colombia Drug Boss Light Sentence in US Court
A Colombian drug boss whose surrender to US authorities helped decimate what was once among the country's most powerful criminal organizations has negotiated his...
Brief /
Report Breaks Down 15 Years of Bloodshed in Colombia’s Murder Capital
A new analysis of 15 years of homicide statistics in Colombia's most violent city, Cali, highlights the direct correlation between underworld evolutions and...
Brief /
Arrest Signals Persistence of Rastrojos Faction in Colombia Drug Trade
The arrest of the alleged leader of Rastrojos faction "los Comba" is a sign that the criminal group was able to grow under the authorities' radar since its near...
Analysis /
Surging South America Cocaine Use a Market Boom for Crime Networks
Growth of cocaine use in South America is outpacing any other region in the world and creating an emerging market boom for organized crime groups that are...
Analysis /
Crime Groups Win in Colombia – Venezuela Border Closure
Venezuela's decision to close its border with Colombia in 2015 has been hugely profitable for criminal groups, who now have unprecedented control over contraband...
Brief /
Arrests Spotlight Trend of Colombian Criminal Migration Abroad
The recent arrests of Colombian drug trafficking bosses abroad is indicative of how local criminal leaders have set up residence across Latin America, both to...
