On the Radar: A Right Turn in Colombia and Peru Ups Security Concerns

Will Colombia’s president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella keep his security promises in office?

Why did the DEA let fentanyl flow into New Mexico?

And will Peru’s new president-elect help stem political instability and the rise of organized crime and extortion?

This week’s top three organized crime stories, in On the Radar.

1: Colombia’s President Elect Promises a Hard Line on Organized Crime

Far-right candidate Abelardo de la Espriella won Colombia’s presidential elections after campaign promises to stop negotiating with criminal groups and to unleash the full force of the security branches against guerrilla and criminal armies.

This week’s InSight Take goes deep on the pressure and help Abelardo might expect from President Trump on organized crime and drug trafficking in Colombia and how much of a human cost the country’s public might be willing to absorb in exchange for security gains. 

2: The DEA let fentanyl flow into New Mexico

DEA agents intentionally let shipments of illicit fentanyl pass from Mexico into New Mexico between 2023 and 2025, according to reporting by the Associated Press. Agents told the outlet that the decision undoubtedly led to overdoses, but government prosecutors responded that it was a strategic decision to gather intelligence and ultimately impactful prosecutions.

The United States government has long blamed Mexico’s cartels for the deadly fentanyl overdoses that plagued communities in the United States for a decade, until they began to fall in 2024, and InSight Crime has investigated the illegal market for the drug extensively.

3: Fujimori will be Peru’s next president

Keiko Fujimori secured the top office in Peru after her fourth presidential campaign, making her country the latest in the region to elect a conservative leader after recent votes in Costa Rica, Chile, and Colombia. 

Peru’s struggle against organized crime, including rising extortion, has been mired by dire political instability that has seen eight different presidents in the last ten years. Whether Fujimori can last and impact insecurity remains to be seen. 

See InSightCrime.org for deep coverage and profiles of all of this week’s issues.