Georgia Guard Soldiers Train Alongside US, Panamanian Partners in Jungle Operations
High heat, constant humidity, heavy rainfall, dense vegetation, dangerous animals, and countless insects are what soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 54th Security Force Assistance Brigade faced while training alongside other U.S. service members and Panamanian security forces at the Combined Jungle Training Center-South in Panama from June 13 through July 3. “The moment I stepped off the bus at the…
Vice Minister Cruz: “Criminal Networks Are Dynamic and Agile in Their Communications; Governments Must Be as Well”
Guatemala is transforming its border security model to respond to increasingly dynamic and sophisticated transnational criminal networks. The country is moving from an approach focused primarily on interdiction toward a strategy based on intelligence, risk analysis, and anticipation, with greater coordination among security, customs, and immigration authorities, as well as new technological and analytical capabilities. In an exclusive interview with…
China’s Lithium Push Deepens Latin America’s Strategic Dependence
The expansion of Chinese companies in Latin America’s lithium sector has evolved from a purely commercial enterprise into a source of geopolitical leverage. Beijing’s ambitions extend well beyond mining. Chinese firms are increasingly seeking influence across the entire lithium value chain — from extraction and processing to exports, and, increasingly, the regulatory frameworks that govern these resources. Evan Ellis, research…
SOUTHAM 2026 Brings South American Air Chiefs Together to Address Regional Challenges
Air chiefs and senior military leaders from across South America gathered in Tucson, Arizona, August 25-28 for the South American Air Chiefs Conference (SOUTHAM) 2026, a four-day conference focused on strengthening regional cooperation and developing coordinated approaches to shared security challenges across the Western Hemisphere. Hosted by U.S. Air Forces Southern/12th Air Force (AFSOUTH), the air component to U.S. Southern…
Panama Strengthens Cyber Defense to Protect Critical Infrastructure
Panama is strengthening its ability to protect the digital systems that support government operations and critical infrastructure. The country recently advanced this effort by operationalizing its State Cybersecurity Operations Center, designed to continuously monitor government networks, improve incident response, and strengthen protection against increasingly sophisticated threats. Led by the National Authority for Government Innovation (AIG), the initiative forms part of…
‘Ndrangheta in Ecuador: A Growing Threat to Regional Security
With global cocaine production reaching a record estimated 4,100 metric tons in 2024, Ecuador has emerged as one of the principal departure points for cocaine shipments bound for international markets. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the country seized nearly 300 metric tons of drugs in 2024 — one of the highest totals in the…
Why Guaviare Matters: FARC Dissident Rivalries Threaten Colombia’s Strategic Trafficking Corridors
The Colombian department of Guaviare has become one of the principal battlegrounds in the conflict between rival dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Rather than fighting over coca cultivation alone, the armed groups are competing for control of strategic trafficking corridors, criminal economies, and key logistics routes. Following the 2016 peace agreement, the FARC fighters who…
China’s Expansion in Squid Fishery Poses New Maritime Security Challenges
The expansion of China’s fishing fleet in South American waters is no longer limited to the large concentrations of vessels operating on the high seas along the edge of the region’s exclusive economic zones (EEZs). Chinese companies have also expanded their presence within national fishing fleets through acquisitions, local subsidiaries, and the reflagging of vessels, allowing them to operate both…
Ports, Data, and Critical Infrastructure: Protecting Guatemala’s Strategic Assets
With a population of more than 18 million, the largest economy in Central America, and a strategic location between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, Guatemala occupies a unique position in the region. As the country modernizes its port, digital, and technological infrastructure, Chinese companies and technologies have expanded their presence across multiple sectors. This has prompted broader discussions about how…
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;…
Minister Onofre: ‘The Challenges Know No Borders; Neither Should Our Response’
The Dominican Republic plays a key role in Caribbean security and in regional efforts to combat transnational organized crime. Its strategic location, maritime interdiction capabilities, and close cooperation with the United States and other allies have positioned the country as an important security partner in confronting criminal organizations that increasingly operate across borders, maritime routes, and international networks. Against this…
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…
