Organized criminal groups, long referred to as “cartels,” have evolved far beyond drug trafficking. They are now paramilitary regimes, political influencers, and multi-billion-dollar enterprises with global tentacles. Their operations extend from smuggling corridors to congressional bribes. They’ve effectively replaced the rule of law in entire municipalities.

In a bombshell ruling that stunned the legal world and electrified political pundits, a New York appeals court has thrown out the massive $500 million civil fraud judgment previously levied against former President Donald J. Trump, raising urgent new questions about the future of accountability in high-profile financial fraud cases — and the durability of Trump's mounting legal troubles.