Some 700 Honduran families are benefitting from humanitarian aid kits delivered by U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) to the National Risk Management System (SINAGER, in Spanish) of Honduras on May 8. These 700 hygiene kits contain soaps, toothpastes, brushes, sanitary napkins, toilet paper, and shampoo and were taken to prioritized sectors [ … ]
Guatemalan Army Seizes More than 3 Tons of Cocaine
The Guatemalan Army seized more than 3 tons of cocaine in several counter-drug operations conducted April 19-21. Two of the seizures originated in the Maracaibo region of Venezuela, where small aircraft departed on suspicious flights over the Caribbean Sea that ended up violating Guatemalan airspace. An April 21 counter-drug operation [ … ]
Brazilian Federal Police Seizes 650 Kilograms of Cocaine in Pernambuco
On April 22, the Brazilian Federal Police (PF, in Portuguese), with the support of Pernambuco’s Military Police Battalion, seized 650 kilograms of cocaine concealed in the cargo compartment of an airplane. The drug was divided into several packages and bags. The operation resulted in the seizure of the aircraft, eight [ … ]
Withdrawal from Anti-drug Agreements Benefits Cartels in Venezuela
On February 25, in a combined operation, the Colombian Navy and Aruban security forces seized more than 5 tons of cocaine hidden inside a compartment of the cargo ship Aressa. The vessel that sailed under a Cameroonian flag had departed from Guaranao Port, in the Venezuelan state of Falcón, and [ … ]
Venezuela, Safe Haven for Mexican Narcotraffickers
The Sinaloa Cartel, a Mexican criminal organization that engages in narcotrafficking, is strengthening its power and base in Venezuela to smuggle drugs, with the support of the Nicolás Maduro regime. In its report Mexican Cartels – Venezuela’s Uninvited Guests Here to Stay, InSight Crime, a non-profit journalism and investigative organization [ … ]
Venezuelan Regime Uses Pandemic for Political Ends
The massive business shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic has caused millions of jobs to be lost. In the case of Venezuelan migrants, faced with a lack of resources to survive far from home, some have decided to return to their country of origin. Upon arrival, however, they are mistreated, [ … ]
Colombia and Panama Strengthen Borders Against Drugs
The security forces of Colombia and Panama have increased surveillance operations along their borders in an effort to disrupt illicit drug trafficking. On April 22, in two multinational operations conducted in Panama with the United States and Colombia, authorities seized 2,193 kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride, worth $73 million. The Panamanian [ … ]
Panama Increases Drug Seizures, Despite COVID-19
Although a great part of the National Aeronaval Service (SENAN, in Spanish) and the National Border Service’s (SENAFRONT, in Spanish) personnel is committed to the COVID-19 Health Joint Task Force, which the Panamanian government created to respond to the coronavirus crisis, operations against transnational criminal organizations have not let up. During [ … ]
Argentine Navy Captures Chinese Vessel Fishing Illegally
Argentine Navy service members captured a Chinese ship that was fishing illegally in the Argentine Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), amid growing concern over predatory fishing in the South Atlantic. On May 5, the Offshore Patrol Vessel ARA Bouchard was conducting surveillance in Argentine maritime waters when it sighted the Chinese [ … ]
Vladimir Padrino: Power in the Shadows in Venezuela
Venezuelan Army General Vladimir Padrino, minister of Defense for the Nicolás Maduro regime, was among the U.S. Department of Justice’s March list of wanted individuals, accused of being part of the Cartel of the Suns’ narcotrafficking and terrorism network. Padrino controls food distribution and leads 11 of Venezuela’s 32 ministries. [ … ]
Brazilian Armed Forces Take Actions Against the Coronavirus
In the fight against the pandemic, the Brazilian Armed Forces are undertaking several activities, including ensuring the water supply, transporting protective equipment, disinfecting areas, food distribution, blood donations, and guidance for the population. The Brazilian Air Force (FAB, in Portuguese), launched its initiative on May 4. FAB’s Logistics Support Operations [ … ]
Colombian Counternarcotic Mission Deals Heavy Blow in the Cauca Region
Colombian authorities announced that eight dissidents from the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) were neutralized during a joint military counternarcotics operation. In a statement released to the press, military officials said on April 14 that a specialized unit from the Colombian Army’s Third Division infiltrated the municipality of [ … ]