This project is a dataset of all drug seizures in Colombia. I intend to expand to other Latin American countries and to cover arrests and other contraband in time.

The goal of this project is to collect a centralised body of data on organised crime in Latin America. This should serve as a resources for other journalists and researchers who can use it to draw their own conclusions. At the moment, other datasets are either nationally specific (and therefore hard to compare across countries) or incomplete.

I pull all the information from publically available sources, mainly spanish-language reporting on single incidents from local newspapers and social media. As a result, I cannot specifically vouch for the accuracy of any individual figures – I rely on the accuracy of the initial reporting. Where there are inconsistencies in reports about the same incident, I try my best to resolve by identifying the original source.

I am a Medellin-based journalist who covers organised crime. I hold a masters degree with distinction in Conflict Studies from the London School of Economics.