Regional Partners Integrate Intelligence and Capabilities Against Transnational Criminal Networks
Countries across Latin America and the Caribbean are strengthening intelligence sharing, interoperability, and operational planning to confront transnational criminal organizations operating across borders and maritime routes. A new U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) structure seeks to support those efforts and help turn available information and capabilities into coordinated operations. Joint Task Force-Western Hemisphere (JTF-WHEM), activated on August 4, 2026, provides unified…
Following the Data, Not Just the Money: New Tools to Target Transnational Crime Finances
Transnational criminal organizations are increasingly sophisticated in the ways they conceal illicit proceeds, combining cryptocurrencies, digital platforms, and traditional financial systems. In response, authorities across the hemisphere are strengthening their investigative capabilities. One recent case emerged in Chile, where an investigation dismantled a network linked to the Tren de Aragua that allegedly moved millions of dollars through cryptoassets, front companies,…
Secure Border Strategy Strengthens Ecuador’s Border Security
For transnational criminal organizations, Ecuador’s northern border remains a strategic corridor for drug trafficking, illicit arms trafficking, illegal mining, and other illicit economies. The Secure Border strategy, developed by Ecuador and the United States, seeks to reduce those opportunities by integrating intelligence, risk analysis, interagency coordination, and operational capabilities while supporting legitimate trade and strengthening security for border communities. Ecuador…
Tren de Aragua’s Expansion in Brazil: Criminal Adaptation, Strategic Alliances, and a New Security Challenge
The expansion of Tren de Aragua (TdA), the Venezuelan criminal organization that consolidated in Tocorón prison during the 2010s, has now reached Brazil. Designated a transnational terrorist organization by several countries in the region, the group is currently present across much of the hemisphere, as well as in Europe. Initially, the group established itself along the border in the state…
Panama Strengthens Maritime, Border, and Cybersecurity Capabilities with US Support
Panama continues to strengthen its security forces’ ability to monitor its land borders, maritime domain, and digital networks in a more coordinated manner to counter threats posed by transnational organized crime. As part of that effort, the United States delivered more than $5 million in maritime, border, and cybersecurity equipment in June to Panama’s National Border Service (SENAFRONT) and National…
Guatemala’s Drug Route: The New Geography of Organized Crime
Although Guatemala remains one of Central America’s main cocaine transit countries, it is playing an increasingly strategic role in regional synthetic drug supply chains, reflecting the transformation of global drug trafficking. Its location along major regional and international trade routes has made it a link between Asian producers of chemical precursors, clandestine laboratories in Mexico, and the North American market.…
Adm. Dalle Nogare: “Everything Starts with a Local Initiative”
More than three decades of military service have taken Argentine Navy Admiral Marcelo Alejandro Dalle Nogare from command of Argentine Navy units and international naval operations to the highest levels of joint leadership. That trajectory, which includes experience in intelligence, combined operations, and international cooperation, has reinforced a conviction that shapes his view of transnational threats: No country can confront…
CJNG Networks Face Coordinated Pressure Across the Hemisphere
Designated by the United States as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) in February 2025, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) has continued to project its influence beyond Mexico’s borders, even after its longtime leader, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias El Mencho, was killed on February 22, 2026, in an operation by Mexican Army Special Forces (SEDENA) in Tapalpa, Jalisco state. The…
Caribbean Integrates Citizen Reporting into Regional Intelligence
Criminal organizations operating in the Caribbean exploit maritime routes, illicit markets, and multiple jurisdictions to move drugs, weapons, and other illegal goods. Against networks that operate across national borders, information provided by local communities can become an operational asset when it is protected, evaluated, and connected with data from other countries. With that goal in mind, the Caribbean Community Implementation…
Securing the Supply Chain: China’s Critical Minerals Network and the Security Risks for the Americas
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global demand for critical minerals is expected to grow by more than 6 percent annually through 2030, driven by the energy transition, the digitalization of economies, and intensifying technological competition among major powers. In this context, Latin America occupies a pivotal position: The region holds around half of the world’s lithium reserves, more…
Ecuador, US Target Los Choneros’ Maritime Logistics in Eastern Pacific
Six maritime interdictions in less than two weeks in the Eastern Pacific are putting the spotlight on a critical part of Los Choneros’ drug trafficking infrastructure: the vessels that supply criminal networks at sea and allow them to operate across vast stretches of ocean. On August 28 and September 2, 3, 5, 7, and 8, U.S. forces interdicted Ecuadorian vessels…
Central America Strengthens Aerial Surveillance Against Transnational Crime
Central American security forces are incorporating unmanned aerial systems and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities to counter increasingly mobile and technologically sophisticated criminal organizations. These tools expand surveillance over borders, coastlines, and remote forested areas, at a time when criminal networks themselves are also using drones to monitor their surroundings, transport illicit goods, and support other illegal activities. Situational…
