South America

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Central America

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PANAMAX 2026 Strengthens Multinational Medical Readiness in Panama

Medical teams from Panama’s Ministry of Health (MINSA), Joint Task Force Bravo (JTF-Bravo), and the Missouri National Guard worked side by side during PANAMAX 2026 to strengthen medical readiness and interoperability while providing healthcare services to communities in Colón, Panama. The Medical Readiness Training Exercise (MEDRETE), held August 4-7 at Altos de los Lagos School combined hands-on medical training with…

Caribbean

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Spotlight Interviews

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Academia

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Branching Out: Latin American Drug Cartels Expand into Other Illegal Schemes

This article was originally published in U.S. Northern Command’s Magazine The Watch, on July 2, 2026. Latin America’s transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) have been diversifying, finding new ways to make money in addition to producing, selling, and transporting illicit drugs. The many tentacles of their businesses extend to human trafficking and migration; illegal logging, fishing and gold mining; protection rackets;…

Special Report

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Ecuador at the Crossroads of Transnational Crime: Violence, Criminal Reconfiguration, and Regional Challenges – PART II

For decades, Ecuador was perceived as an exception in a region plagued by drug trafficking, armed violence, and criminal capture of the state. While neighboring countries faced open wars between cartels and state forces, Ecuador seemed to remain on the sidelines of these dynamics. That image began to slowly crack and finally collapsed in January 2024, when President Daniel Noboa…

Photo Galleries

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