8 of the Top 10 Companies Involved in Illegal Fishing Are Chinese, Study Says
Eight of the 10 companies responsible for nearly 25 percent of known illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing are from China. So says a recent report by the Financial Transparency Coalition (FTC), a global network of civil society, governments, and experts. According to the study, China and its state-owned companies [ … ]
Panama and SOUTHCOM Bring Support to 22 Indigenous Communities
With the support of the U.S. Embassy in Panama and units of U.S. Southern Command’s (SOUTHCOM) Joint Task Force Bravo (JTF-Bravo), the Panamanian government brought humanitarian assistance to 22 hard-to-reach indigenous communities as part of humanitarian exercise Mercury IV, November 30-December 14, 2022. “The cooperation with the U.S. Embassy and [ … ]
Peru and Bolivia Strengthen Border Security
During the Tenth Ordinary Meeting of the Binational Border Commission (Combifron) Peru-Bolivia carried out in the Bolivian city of la Paz, in late 2022, authorities coordinated actions against security threats such as the fight against drug, arms, and human trafficking; organized crime; smuggling; contraband; and illegal mining. The Combifron is [ … ]
Russia and Nicaragua Agree on Cybersecurity Cooperation
Russia and Nicaragua have signed a cybersecurity cooperation agreement for the 2022-2026 period, Nicaragua’s Official Gazette indicated. The agreement was made in Managua following cybersecurity meetings. “They say that they seek to do it peacefully but seeing the situation we are living today at the global level, it sounds more [ … ]
FAO Intensifies Fight Against IUU Fishing
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA) has the backing of 100 countries ready to step up the fight against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, FAO said in a November 7 statement. [caption id="attachment_79437" align="alignright" width="300"] Front, from left: Ecuadorian Army Major General [ … ]
CARICOM and US Launch Caribbean Intelligence Unit
The Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), in partnership with U.S. law enforcement agencies, launched the CARICOM Crime Gun Intelligence Unit (CCGIU) in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, in late 2022. “We will begin the unit’s work with eight agents, of which five [ … ]
Narcotrafficking Increases Violence in Ecuador
In the midst of bloody disputes between local gangs in cahoots with large international mafias, Ecuador is positioning itself as a hub for cocaine trafficking to the United States and Europe, the Ecuadorian daily El Tiempo reported. “The boom in violence in Ecuador converges with the impact of COVID-19, the [ … ]
El Salvador Deploys Security Forces to Contain Criminal Groups
The government of El Salvador has activated phase five of its Territorial Control Plan security strategy, called Extraction, deploying police and military forces to surround cities and contain gang activity. “In the first place, we must understand that the extraction phase implies an earlier intelligence phase to go to specific [ … ]
CENTCOM Forces Intercept More Than 2,000 Assault Rifles Shipped from Iran
On Jan. 6, U.S. Central Command forces intercepted a stateless dhow in the Gulf of Oman smuggling more than 2,000 AK-47 assault rifles while transiting international waters from Iran to Yemen. The vessel was sailing on a route historically used to traffic weapons to the Houthis in Yemen. A team [ … ]
Peru Battles Colombian Armed Groups in Border Area
Peruvian law enforcement agencies are working to monitor, act, and dismantle dissident groups of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), present along the Peruvian border area, Peruvian Navy Admiral Jorge Moscoso Flores, former head of the Peruvian Armed Forces’ Joint Command, told Diálogo on December 18, 2022. In November, [ … ]
Honduras Declares State of Emergency to Combat Gangs
The Honduran government has launched the National Integral Plan against Extortion and Related Crimes, declaring a state of emergency and announcing the deployment of security forces to combat crime, extortion, and narcotrafficking carried out by gangs and other criminal organizations. “This measure is necessary and timely to detain crime perpetrators [ … ]
Women, Peace, Security: More Than Just Words on Paper
Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) is a policy that recognizes women as a critical component to achieve sustainable international peace and security. “This policy directly empowers women to impact their organizations and make a difference in the world,” said U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant Ana Mendiola, 571st Mobility Support Advisory [ … ]
