Jalisco New Generation Cartel Expands Illegal Mercury Trafficking in South America
Illegal mercury trafficking is emerging as one of the newest and most lucrative criminal frontiers for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), which in recent years has expanded its activities far beyond drug trafficking. Mercury is essential for illegal gold extraction, used to separate the precious metal from soil and [ … ]
Caribbean Trafficking Routes to Europe Drive New Security Challenges
The Caribbean has ceased to be merely a secondary route for drug trafficking to Europe and has become a strategic hub for transnational criminal networks, which increasingly exploit institutional weaknesses, security gaps, and the region’s geographic advantages to move cocaine across the Atlantic. As interdiction pressure intensifies, criminal organizations are [ … ]
Peru Bets on Sovereign Capabilities in the Space and Cyber Domains
With more than 30 years of service in the Peruvian Air Force, Major General Mariano Nieves Rodríguez Llerena now leads the country’s efforts in two of the most strategic and emerging domains of modern defense: space and cyberspace. Commander of the Peruvian Air Force Space and Cyberspace Command and a [ … ]
Pressure, Diversification, and Fragmentation Shape Ecuador’s Criminal Landscape
Ecuador’s criminal landscape continues to rapidly evolve, as a response to the Daniel Noboa administration’s military pressure campaign. This evolution is marked by an ongoing diversification and fragmentation of major criminal organizations and the proliferation of smaller armed groups and local gangs. The government response and criminal groups’ adaptation are [ … ]
Chinese Cyber Espionage Puts Latin America’s Critical Infrastructure at Risk
Nearly a decade had passed since they began operating in the shadows. The Gallium group — tracked by Google under the designation UNC2814 — moved silently through government and corporate networks in dozens of countries, gaining access, extracting information, and refining its methods without triggering visible alarms. In February, Reuters [ … ]
Guatemala Strengthens Fentanyl Detection Through K-9 Capabilities
As synthetic drug trafficking expands across the hemisphere, Guatemala is strengthening its ability to detect fentanyl through specialized K-9 training — part of a broader effort to address emerging supply chains that increasingly involve precursor flows through Central America. The initiative reflects a growing regional emphasis on early detection and [ … ]
Nothing Happens Until Something Moves: Designing a Multinational Movement and Transportation Manual to Enable Military Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief
Hurricanes devastate Caribbean islands, earthquakes destroy infrastructure across multiple countries, and volcanoes spew lava, isolating mountain towns from the rest of the country. These disasters often exceed a nation’s capacity to rescue and care for its affected citizens. When that happens, nations typically turn to national and international civilian organizations, [ … ]
CENTAM SMOKE, Building Lifesaving Partnerships
Joint Task Force-Bravo (JTF-B), in coordination with the 612th Air Base Squadron (ABS), successfully concluded yet another iteration of Central America Sharing Mutual Operation Knowledge and Experiences (CENTAM SMOKE), a multinational firefighting exercise that brought together U.S. forces and partner nation firefighters and military members from across Central America and [ … ]
A New Chapter: Venezuela and Regional Cooperation Against Transnational Crime
After years of frozen relations, the restoration of diplomatic ties between the United States and Venezuela marks a significant turning point for regional security dynamics. The reopening of dialogue comes after the arrest of Nicolás Maduro in January 2026 and the installation of an interim government. This new context has [ … ]
China’s Aggressive Media Influence Operation in the Caribbean
China is intensifying its influence strategy in the Caribbean through a combination of diplomacy, investments, media cooperation, and information campaigns aimed at expanding its strategic presence in the region. According to experts, Beijing is using journalism training programs, content-sharing agreements, ties with local media outlets, and in some cases even [ … ]
Ecuador Strengthens Strategy and Mobilizes Citizens Against Transnational Threat
Recent actions by Ecuadorian authorities involving foreign nationals identified as potential security concerns reflect a more preventive and proactive approach by the country toward increasingly complex transnational threats. Authorities have intensified efforts to counter risks related to organized crime, illicit financing, and international networks operating across the region. On March [ … ]
