US Space Forces Southern Activates, Launches New Era of Hemispheric Cooperation
The U.S. Space Force and U.S. Southern Command (SOUTCHOM) officially marked the activation of Space Forces Southern (SPACEFOR-SOUTH) during a ceremony at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, January 21, 2026, formalizing the command’s role in integrating space capabilities across the Western Hemisphere. Although SPACEFOR-SOUTH became operational on December 1, 2025, the [ … ]
Ecuador Intensifies War on Illegal Mining
Ecuador is ramping up military offensives against illegal mining, which in recent years has expanded into the country’s national parks and protected areas. In late October 2025, a major deployment took place in the northern province of Imbabura. A detachment of some 500 soldiers, supported by heavy artillery and coordinated [ … ]
Latin America’s Green Crisis, the Battle Against Transnational Crime Networks that Threaten the Amazon
Transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) are waging a silent war on Latin America’s ecosystems, turning biodiversity and natural resources into a multibillion-dollar illicit economy. Crimes like illegal gold mining, deforestation, and wildlife trafficking are rapidly eroding the Amazon and other critical environments, financing criminal groups, and fueling human rights abuses across [ … ]
The Caribbean Defense Strategy: Forensic Science as an Arsenal Against Organized Crime
Caribbean security forces are stepping up their efforts to combat organized crime, pivoting their strategy to strengthen forensic capabilities that enable evidence-based justice. This strategic progress is due largely thanks to sustained international cooperation, particularly, support from the United States and the European Union. Strengthening justice through international partnerships Nearly [ … ]
China in Latin America: Strategic Engagement, Leverage, and Democratic Risk – PART II
Originally conducted in mid-2025, the following conversation offers a timely look at the structural shifts in hemispheric relations that continue to define the current landscape. As China’s presence in Latin America has expanded, so too have the tools it uses to entrench influence beyond traditional diplomacy and investment. In the [ … ]
China’s Deepening Influence in Mexico: The Nexus of Technology, Economy, and Transnational Crime
China’s expanding presence in Mexico is altering the country’s economic, technological, and security landscape. This presents a complex mix of legitimate investment and illicit networks, raising urgent questions about Mexico’s sovereignty and vulnerability. The deepening relationship between China and Mexico is a study in contrasts: a boom in economic cooperation [ … ]
Strategic Consolidation: Brazil’s Counter-TCO Operations
The evolution of Brazil’s security landscape has been increasingly defined by the transition of domestic criminal factions into sophisticated transnational entities. While groups like the Red Command (CV) and the First Capital Command (PCC) have been fixture of the regional security dialogue for decades, the current era is marked by [ … ]
The Looming Threat: Chinese Civilian Drones in Latin America
China is relentlessly flooding Latin America with its commercial unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) — commonly known as drones. In Brazil, the region’s largest market, the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) has registered more than 133,000 such aircraft as of late November 2025. Of this total, the vast majority, over 113,000, [ … ]
Satellite Vulnerabilities: The New Arsenal of Advanced Criminal Networks
Exploiting vulnerabilities in satellite communications has opened a critical new front in the transnational conflict. Highly militarized and technologically organized groups, such as Mexico’s Jalisco New Generation (CJNG) and Sinaloa cartels, are positioned to take advantage of the lack of encryption in Geostationary (GEO) satellite links. That vulnerability could allow [ … ]
China in Latin America: Strategic Engagement, Leverage, and Democratic Risk – PART I
Originally conducted in mid-2025, the following conversation offers a timely look at the structural shifts in hemispheric relations that continue to define the current landscape. Over the past two decades, China has transformed its presence in Latin America and the Caribbean from a commercial relationship centered on trade into a [ … ]
Norinco’s Expanding Footprint in Latin America
As part of the Global Security Initiative (GSI) — the plan launched by Xi Jinping in 2022 that uses security as a lever for geopolitical influence — state-owned defense corporation China North Industries Group (Norinco) is rapidly expanding its presence in Latin America. The company is not limiting itself to [ … ]
