The Global Advisor Kidnap & extortive crime | January 2025 Americas
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The number of kidnaps in Mexico continued to increase between October and December 2024, with the state of Sinaloa registering an extremely significant increase compared to the same period in 2023. Mexico as a whole saw a 25% increase compared with the same quarter in 2023. This trend stems from a deterioration in the overall security environment related to an ongoing dispute between factions of the Sinaloa Cartel. Other states where cases increased compared with the same period in 2023 include Jalisco, Michoacan, Coahuila and Nuevo Leon. In turn, the number of virtual kidnaps across Mexico saw a 143% increase over the last quarter of 2024 compared with the same period in 2023. Control Risks identified that a wide range of criminal groups – including local gangs and organised criminal groups – are more commonly relying on virtual kidnaps to target business travellers, wealthy individuals and their financial dependants. Ecuador registered a 43% rise in the number of reported incidents between October and December 2024, compared with the same quarter in 2023. Guayas province remained the national hotspot, accounting for roughly 37% of all cases. Organised criminal groups in Guayas province proved resilient enough to sustain their influence in areas under their control and expand their ranks despite the increased presence of security forces across the province. They leveraged recruits from low-income groups to target the owners and employees of medium-sized and large businesses; as well as opportunistic abductions of individuals travelling across the city. Colombia registered a slight decline in kidnaps between October and December 2024, compared with the same quarter in 2023. Nonetheless, this is most likely due to variations in the quality
of the reporting environment in rural areas than any sustained reduction in the threat. The country witnessed a sharp increase in the number of urban gangs engaged in financially motivated abductions in cities such as Bogota, Medellin and Barranquilla, as well as the continued prevalence of kidnaps perpetrated by left-wing guerrillas in rural areas. Multiple Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) dissident fronts increased their presence across the southern and south-eastern departments of Cauca, Huila, Caquetá and Valle del Cauca, while the National Liberation Army (ELN) increased its activity across the Norte de Santander and Cesar departments. Additionally, Peru witnessed a 45% increase in the number of kidnap cases in the last quarter of 2024, compared with the same period in 2023. Control Risks identified a steady increase in urban gangs targeting the owners of small and medium- sized businesses. Overall, these criminals hold victims captive for approximately a week during which they are likely to inflict severe violence
on them to prompt ransom payments. Lima department is the national hotspot and accounted for roughly half of all incidents between October and December 2024, followed by La Libertad. 66 % of abductions happened in transit/outdoors 90 % of abductions resolved in less than 8 days 19 sectors affected
Key developments October to December 2024
Reported kidnaps in the Americas over the past quarter remained broadly stable compared to the same period in 2023. The persistent conflict between the factions of the Sinaloa Cartel drove an increase in the number of reported kidnaps-for-ransom in Mexico and particularly Sinaloa state over Q4 2024, while the number of virtual kidnaps also increased. Recorded incidents in Ecuador increased over the fourth quarter of 2024 compared with the same period in 2023, especially in Guayas province. Kidnaps will continue to pose a threat in Colombia amid the growing activity of criminal gangs across major cities, and of left-wing guerrillas in rural areas. Urban gangs will remain a major threat actor over the coming year in Peru , accounting for a surge of reported kidnaps over the last quarter, across major cities in the Lima and La Libertad departments.
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