On November 12, 2020, a Chinese consortium consisting of three state-run companies signed a contract with Bahia state, in northeast Brazil. The venture established a partnership to build a 12.4-kilometer long bridge, the second largest in Latin America. Construction is expected to begin in 2021 and last for five years. [ … ]
Brazil: Agents Seize More than 1 Ton of Cocaine Bound for Belgium
On March 9, 2021, Brazilian Federal Police (PF, in Portuguese) agents arrested seven men carrying more than 1 ton of cocaine at Santos Port, São Paulo. The drug was bound for Antwerp, Belgium. Police officers were dispatched when surveillance cameras detected the suspicious movements of a truck inside one of [ … ]
Paraguay: Agents Destroy Nearly 60 Tons of Marijuana
In February and early March, the Paraguayan National Anti-Drug Secretariat (SENAD) intensified operations against illegal cannabis crops. Agents destroyed 57 tons of marijuana in three operations, preventing the drug from reaching neighboring countries and Europe. On March 5, agents entered a forest area in Colonia Itakyry, Alto Paraná department. There, [ … ]
US, Peruvian Governments Share Successful Vaccination Experiences
The United States government, through its Embassy in Lima and the West Virginia Joint Interagency Task Force for COVID-19 Vaccines (WV Task Force), joined the Presidency of the Council of Ministers (PCM, in Spanish) and Peru’s Ministry of Health in organizing a virtual discussion panel on the successful vaccination experience [ … ]
Brazilian Federal Police Investigates Drug Trafficking from International Airport
The Brazilian Federal Police (PF, in Portuguese) carried out yet another operation aimed at decapitalizing criminal drug trafficking organizations in Brazil with Operation Lavaggio on February 10, 2021. The operation served six search and seizure warrants and seven court orders putting a lien on properties located in two cities in [ … ]
Chilean Navy Increases Surveillance Due to Chinese Fishing Fleet’s Threat
As the massive Chinese fishing fleet continues to advance, with practices of illegal and indiscriminate exploitation of maritime resources sparking concern on the Pacific coast of South America, the Chilean Navy has implemented a heavy surveillance protocol in December 2020. On December 14, the Chilean Navy’s General Directorate of the [ … ]
Colombia Strengthens the Fight Against Narcotics and Dissidents
Colombian security forces conducted operations February 7-19, 2021, impacting narcotrafficking organizations in the Caribbean coast, and especially in the Pacific area, where there is a high concentration of drug production. The 2020 National Drug Threat Assessment, which the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration published on March 2, 2021, indicates that the COVID-19 [ … ]
US Government Donates 8 Ventilators to Support Fight Against COVID-19 in the Dominican Republic
The U.S. government, through U.S. Southern Command, donated eight Hamilton T1 ventilators in mid-February that, together with the two mobile hospitals donated in September 2020, will increase the Dominican government’s capability to deploy personnel and medical teams quickly, and to care for those in need of emergency assistance during disaster [ … ]
Wichita Conducts First PASSEX on Maiden Deployment with Dominican Republic
The U.S. Navy Freedom-variant littoral combat ship USS Wichita (LCS 13) executed a passing exercise (PASSEX) with naval counterparts from the Dominican Republic, March 2, while operating in the Caribbean Sea. The PASSEX provided an opportunity for both navies to improve interoperability and demonstrate their ability to communicate, navigate, and [ … ]
Colombia United to SOUTHCOM through Military Advisor
Colombian Army Colonel Héctor Iván Macías, Partner Nations Military Advisor (PNMA) at U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) since October 2020, has a very specific goal: to strengthen cooperation relations between the armed forces of his country and the United States. With 29 years of military service, Col. Macías is one of [ … ]
Army South, 1st SFAB Begin Pre-deployment Training Conference
U.S. Army South kicked-off Operation Alamo Shield pre-deployment training conference February 23 at their headquarters to prepare 1st Security Forces Assistance Brigade (1st SFAB) personnel for future missions in Colombia, Honduras, and Panama. The 1st SFAB deployments are in support of U.S. Southern Command’s enhanced counternarcotics operations, which President Trump [ … ]
The United States Hands Over $88,735 Worth of Critical Hospital Emergency Equipment to the Government of Jamaica in Response to COVID-19
On March 2, 2021, the U.S. government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), delivered $88,735 worth of critically needed hospital supplies to the Jamaican Ministry of Health and Wellness, to support the government of Jamaica’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The equipment is part of the $2 million in assistance USAID is [ … ]