Ecuador: At the Heart of the Reconfiguration of Andean Illicit Corridors
The arrest in Ecuador of Luis Rolando Osorio Arévalo, alias Mison, accused by Colombian authorities of helping facilitate the expansion of Tren de Aragua in Bogotá, offered a glimpse into a broader transformation taking place across the Andes. Osorio was arrested in Ecuador following a coordinated operation between the security forces of Ecuador and Colombia and was transferred to Colombian…
Chile Exposes How Organized Crime Turns Stolen Copper into Transnational Revenue
Months of coordinated investigative work culminated in the largest seizure of stolen copper in Chile’s history. Operation High Voltage, carried out in April 2026 by the Investigative Police (PDI), the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Internal Revenue Service, and the National Customs Service, led to simultaneous raids on 49 locations across seven regions of the country. The operation resulted in the…
Technology, Data, and Digital Sovereignty: China’s Growing Presence in Latin America
Across Latin America and the Caribbean, Chinese technology is becoming increasingly embedded in the systems that support everyday life and government operations. From telecommunications networks and video surveillance systems to cloud services and emerging artificial intelligence (AI) applications, Beijing’s growing presence in the digital domain is fueling a regional debate over digital sovereignty, cybersecurity, and technological dependence. As governments modernize…
Inside the Pacific’s Criminal Network: How Drug Traffickers Exploit Ecuador’s Fishing Infrastructure
The convergence between Mexican cartels and Ecuadorian criminal organizations has evolved from a system of territorial alliances into a more flexible and decentralized transnational logistics network. While Mexican cartels once relied on local groups to move cocaine from the Colombian border to Ecuadorian ports, cooperation increasingly extends along the Eastern Pacific (EPAC) maritime corridor: Ecuadorian groups provide infrastructure, vessels, and…
Strategic Infrastructure and Accountability: Panama Reassesses Chinese Megaprojects
The explosion and fire beneath the Bridge of the Americas in April, which killed one person, injured two others, and forced the temporary closure of one of Panama’s vital transportation routes, underscored the importance of resilient strategic infrastructure and alternative routes capable of sustaining mobility and logistical continuity during an emergency. The incident also revived debate over delays in the…
Guatemala Strengthens Cybersecurity Through Regional Partnerships
Cyberspace has emerged as a critical domain for national security. Beyond the traditional domains of land, air, and sea, the digital networks that support energy, transportation, communications, finance, customs, emergency response, and government operations have become critical infrastructure — and increasingly attractive targets for cybercriminals and hostile state actors. Recognizing these growing risks, Guatemala has expanded efforts to strengthen cyber…
How China’s Space Projects Are Prompting Greater Scrutiny Across South America
Governments across South America are taking a closer look at Chinese-backed space and scientific infrastructure projects as concerns grow over their potential dual-use applications, transparency, and implications for national sovereignty. Recent decisions in Argentina and Chile to halt or cancel major Chinese observatory initiatives reflect a broader trend: Advanced infrastructure once viewed primarily through a scientific or commercial lens is…
Minister Loffredo: ‘This Is the Time to Put an End to This Evil Once and for All’
The Americas Counter-Cartel Coalition is moving from planning to action. At its second meeting, held August 11-12 in Panama, defense and security officials from across the hemisphere analyzed transnational criminal threats, trafficking routes, and logistical networks and began identifying areas for joint action. Against this backdrop, Diálogo spoke with Ecuador’s Minister of National Defense Gian Carlo Loffredo about his country’s…
The Legacy of Cuban Intelligence: How Havana Exported Its Security Model Across Latin America
The death in June 2026 of Ramiro Valdés Menéndez, one of the principal architects of Cuba’s intelligence and internal security apparatus, marked the passing of one of the last historic figures associated with the security structures created after Fidel Castro came to power on January 1, 1959. For nearly seven decades, Cuba’s effort to export its revolution have provided the…
Dominican Republic Strengthens Regional Leadership Against Transnational Crime
The Dominican Republic has emerged as one of the Caribbean’s key operational partners in the Americas Counter-Cartel Coalition and as a regional leader in multinational efforts to dismantle transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) that use Caribbean maritime corridors to move cocaine to North America and Europe. “The government of the Dominican Republic, through the National Drug Control Directorate (DNCD), the Attorney…
Operation PULPO Dismantles Pacific Threat Networks
Across the vital maritime transit zones of the Western Hemisphere, a new era of defense is being written. As transnational criminal organizations continue to adapt their methods and exploit maritime routes, regional partners and the United States have transitioned to a posture of active, relentless disruption. The strategic objective is clear: Apply unyielding systemic friction to the transnational threat networks…
The New Battle for Critical Minerals in the Amazon
In the Amazon, where criminal organizations have spent decades building networks dedicated to drug trafficking, illegal gold mining, and smuggling, a new economic frontier is emerging. As global demand rises for critical minerals used in batteries, semiconductors, defense systems, artificial intelligence, and clean energy technologies, resources such as coltan, cassiterite, nickel, lithium, niobium, and rare earth elements are becoming increasingly…
