Space, Cyber Significant Factors in Operation Epic Fury
This article was originally published on U.S. Space Command magazine Apogee, on March 4, 2026. In the predawn darkness before Operation Epic Fury burst into public view, the first blows against Iran were struck by forces orbiting hundreds of miles above Earth. What unfolded, before the obliteration of hundreds [ … ]
Arrests of Los Pulpos Members Across Latin America Show Power of Alliances
A coordinated operation between the Peruvian National Police (PNP), the Bolivian Police, and the Chilean Investigative Police (PDI) led to the arrest in late January in La Paz of Keysi Salvatierra Vigo, the partner of Jhonsson Smith Cruz Torres, alias Jhonsson Pulpo, leader of the Peruvian criminal organization Los Pulpos. [ … ]
Small Firms Signal New Phase in China’s Expanding Footprint in Brazil
In less than two decades, the new nature of Chinese investment in Brazil has undergone a profound transformation. Moving beyond the footprints of state-owned giants, a new wave of smaller Chinese companies is quietly advancing across the country. This trend represents a strategic shift toward lower-value, more diversified investments across [ … ]
Influencers and Organized Crime: The Digital Frontier of a Regional Security Threat
The proliferation of social media across Latin America has forged a volatile nexus between young content creators and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs). Evidence documented across Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru illustrates a strategic evolution: Drug trafficking networks are adapting to the digital landscape, leveraging the visibility of influencers and [ … ]
The Depth of Deception: The Military Shadow Over China’s ‘Scientific’ Chilean Expedition
The recent joint scientific expedition between China and Chile in the Atacama Trench has ignited a rigorous international debate. The participation of the oceanographic research vessel Tan Suo Yi Hao, a platform outfitted with state-of-the-art deep-sea technology, has drawn intense scrutiny toward the possible strategic implications of the mission, particularly [ … ]
Ecuador and the Fight Against Criminal Fragmentation: A War on Multiple Fronts
The atomization of organized crime in Ecuador has become both a survival strategy and an expansion model — one that is reshaping territorial control across the country. Where criminal hierarchies were once more centralized and identifiable, today dozens of cells and splinter factions compete, form tactical alliances, and betray one [ … ]
Argentina, US Unite for Atlantic Dagger 2026
The armed forces of Argentina and the United States are finalizing preparations for Atlantic Dagger 2026, a landmark special operations exercise that signals a new era in bilateral defense cooperation. Scheduled for late April, this joint training will unfold across various locations in Argentina. According to the Argentine Armed Forces [ … ]
Ecuador Intensifies Maritime Control Through Strategic Intelligence and Global Partnerships
Ecuador has bolstered its maritime control operations in the eastern Pacific through the integration of international cooperation, the incorporation of new naval assets, and the deployment of high-level strategic intelligence. This comprehensive modernization is a direct response to the surge in maritime traffic exploited by drug trafficking organizations and transnational [ … ]
China and the Amazon’s Illegal Gold: The Plot Behind Clandestine Mining
The illicit extraction of gold in the Amazon has found a formidable catalyst in surging global demand, increasingly orchestrated by Chinese interests through an elusive medium: gold-bearing sands. According to investigative media alliance Amazon Underworld, Chinese trading syndicates have woven a sophisticated web that allows clandestinely mined gold across South [ … ]
Americas Counter-Cartel Conference Sends Clear Warning to Cartels Across the Hemisphere
At the inaugural Americas Counter-Cartel Conference held on March 5 at U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) headquarters in Doral, Florida, military and security leaders from across the hemisphere delivered a blunt message to cartel networks: The region is prepared to confront them together. “This is not a conference with flags so [ … ]
Reclaiming Pura Vida: Costa Rica Fights Back Against Transnational Organized Crime
Costa Rican authorities are on high alert following the exposure of the South Caribbean Cartel, the first local group to be officially recognized as a transnational criminal organization. This discovery is driving a decisive shift in the nation’s security policy as the government moves to dismantle the infrastructure of organized [ … ]
Autonomous Narco-Submarines: The New Technological Frontier of Organized Crime
Transnational criminal organizations have crossed a decisive threshold in their industrial evolution. They no longer operate merely as gangs, but as sophisticated networks capable of technological development, specialized outsourcing, and the strategic adoption of digital tools to manage risk. This qualitative leap has reduced operational friction and increased resilience under [ … ]
