ARES ‘Quicklook’ video series

We are pleased to announce that selected short video reports derived from our ‘Quicklook’ series will now be made publicly available. These video reports, typically a few minutes in length, examine events relevant to ARES clients and provide brief contextual and observational information. Deeper analysis of any of these events is available to selected clients; most short videos have an accompanying 3-10 page intel report in PDF format.

The first two publicly available Quicklook videos cover gang-related events in Venezuela. The first video covers a raid that took place on 25 July 2019, in which the homicide unit and the special actions brigade (Brigada de Acciones Especiales; BAE) of the Cuerpo de Investigaciones Científicas, Penales y Criminalísticas (CICPC) conducted an operation in the Cota 905 barrio of Caracas, Venezuela. Whilst attempting to arrest two wanted gang leaders, several agents were injured and the operation was aborted. Allegations of corruption surround the incident.

The second video concerns the El Tren de Llano is a gang that operates in Guárico, Venezuela. They are wanted by Venezuelan authorities for kidnapping, extortion, murder, and drug trafficking. A video of the gang displaying small arms and light weapons (SALW) in their possession went viral in Venezuela in late July 2019, and alerted the National Police Special Action Forces (FAES) to their location. Four gang members were killed in action on 31 July 2019.

ARES has a proven track record of success in collecting and analysing all-source intelligence from conflict zones. These Quicklook videos fall under an ARES programme which administers specialised monitoring and targeted collections efforts. The programme operates under strict conditions of confidentiality. More information on this programme is available to selected clients. For information, contact: firewatch@armamentresearch.com

These videos are provided for educational purposes only. Remember, all arms and munitions are dangerous. Treat all firearms as if they are loaded, and all munitions as if they are live, until you have personally confirmed otherwise. If you do not have specialist knowledge, never assume that arms or munitions are safe to handle until they have been inspected by a subject matter specialist. You should not approach, handle, move, operate, or modify arms and munitions unless explicitly trained to do so. If you encounter any unexploded ordnance (UXO) or explosive remnants of war (ERW), always remember the ‘ARMS’ acronym:

AVOID the area
RECORD all relevant information
MARK the area from a safe distance to warn others
SEEK assistance from the relevant authorities