La Rinconada, the world's highest settlement at 5,317 metres, is effectively run by a cartel despite a police presence, according to a report and local accounts. Visitors are warned not to look down, as the Peruvian town is also one of its most lawless.
Official report flags national security threat
In 2025, officials published a report investigating the town's “organised crime, informal and illegal mining, environmental contamination”, dubbing it a “threat to national security”. The report also highlighted “gold trafficking, smuggling and transnational crime, consolidating criminal structures with access to weapons and illicit financing”.
Despite the high altitude making it hard to breathe, freezing Andean temperatures and the constant fear of falling thousands of feet, La Rinconada's population still exceeds 50,000.
'Shoot-to-kill' warnings from locals and police
There are certain streets that are off-limits. “If you stop outside these houses, you will be shot,” one local told investigating YouTuber 'Zazza the Italian'. “They have a shoot-to-kill policy. It's kill or be killed essentially.” The content creator was also advised to stay inside at night because things “completely change” after sunset.
The same policy applies outside an abandoned mine. “If you stay at this spot in the late afternoon or evening for too long, a bullet will reach you. Just like that. And they warn you,” police said, confirming snipers are on standby to take aim at trespassers.
Gold rush drives population growth
La Rinconada's abundant gold reserves are the main reason people choose to live at the top of a deadly mountain. Following the increase in the price of gold between 2001 and 2009, the town's population grew significantly, despite poor living conditions.
Physical effort weighs more and fatigue arrives sooner at such altitude. Essentially a perilous gold mine above the clouds, La Rinconada stands as a global one-off and perhaps an example of how human greed can drive people to unimaginable heights.
