Rastrojos News
Enemies to Allies – How Venezuela Decides Which Criminal Groups Thrive
The Venezuelan government and security forces have spent the last few months building up a criminal known as Santanita and his gang as one of their major targets, while other dangerous groups continue to act with near impunity....
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 /
Massacre on Colombia-Venezuela Border Reveals Rastrojos Civil War
A massacre on the Colombia-Venezuela border has been attributed to warring factions of the Rastrojos gang, revealing a bloody leadership dispute that threatens to...
Analysis /
‘La Línea’ Gang Takes Deadly Hold on Colombia-Venezuela Border
A violent criminal gang known as "La Línea" has triggered several deadly shootouts in battles with other armed groups seeking to control remote trails near the...
Analysis /
EPL, Rastrojos Behind Rising Violence in Venezuela Border State of Táchira
A recent shootout at the main border crossing between Colombia and Venezuela and the killing of five people in another Venezuelan frontier town shows that clashes...
Analysis /
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...
Women, Youth Primed for Gang Recruitment in Venezuela
A new report from a Venezuela non-governmental organization working on migration issues shows that Colombia's criminal groups have been recruiting Venezuelans into...
Brief /
Rastrojos Demonstrate Power with Attack on Venezuela Military Base
A recent attack by Colombian criminal group, Los Rastrojos, on a military base in Venezuela confirms that the group is gathering strength in the country and will...
Colombia /
The Colombian Mafia
The mafia in Colombia today is comprised of a maelstrom of localized groups, shadowy power brokers and sub-contracted labor that combine to bring order to the...
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...