Laura Solano, Author at Diálogo Américas

Maritime Intelligence Tightens the Net on Drug Trafficking Routes

Every year, tons of cocaine cross the Atlantic concealed within legitimate cargo. To detect these shipments before they reach their destination, authorities increasingly rely on maritime intelligence sharing — a key tool for identifying suspicious vessels and tracking the criminal networks that exploit international trade routes. An analysis by EU Today examined drug trafficking cases involving refrigerated cargo vessels and…

September 10, 2026

Chile, US Strengthen Geospatial Capabilities for Combined Operations

The Chilean Army and U.S. Army Western Hemisphere Command (USAWHC) strengthened their geospatial capabilities and interoperability during a three-day exchange in Santiago, Chile, focused on how geographic information and data collection can support operational and tactical planning. Geospatial experts from the Chilean Army’s Military Geographic Institute and USAWHC’s 512th Engineer Detachment Geospatial Planning Cell, G-37 Engineer Directorate, and G-2 Intelligence…

September 09, 2026

Maritime Security in Latin America and the Caribbean: A New Landscape of Challenges and Cooperation

The maritime environment in Latin America and the Caribbean is undergoing a rapid transformation. Traditional threats such as drug trafficking and illegal fishing are now compounded by emerging challenges, including the expansion of transnational criminal networks along maritime routes, the use of advanced technologies, the protection of critical infrastructure, and the growing presence of extra-regional actors. In an interview with…

September 09, 2026

China Consolidates Its Position in Peru’s Critical Minerals Sector

The expansion of the state-owned Aluminum Corporation of China (Chinalco) at the Toromocho copper mine, in Peru’s Junín region, represents the latest step in a long-term strategy through which Beijing is strengthening its position in supply chains of global strategic importance. The approval of 28 projects comprising 33 operational components — backed by an investment of more than $700 million…

September 08, 2026

Advanced Capabilities Needed to Counter China-Russia Space Weapon Cooperation

This article was originally published on U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s Magazine Forum, on August 3, 2026. China and Russia are expanding cooperation on space capabilities to degrade, disrupt or destroy military satellites as well as commercial constellations such as SpaceX’s Starlink. Beijing and Moscow are sharing expertise, coordinating policies and investing in counterspace options that go beyond traditional anti-satellite (ASAT) missiles.…

September 08, 2026

Organized Crime Turns Legitimate Cargo into Chemical Pipeline for Narcotics

Transnational criminal organizations are refining methods to conceal drugs within legitimate commercial cargo. The discovery in Brazil of cocaine chemically impregnated into timber illustrates the growing challenge these techniques pose to custom authorities and the security of global supply chains. In June, Brazilian authorities intercepted a shipment of Bolivian timber suspected of containing cocaine chemically embedded in the wood. According…

September 04, 2026

Capricorn Bi-Oceanic Corridor Could Expand China’s Strategic Reach in South America

The completion of a key section of the Capricorn Bio-Oceanic Corridor marks a new phase in South America’s logistical integration. As the route brings the continent’s interior closer to Pacific ports and Asian markets, analysts warn that it could also strengthen the trade, logistics, and infrastructure network underpinning China’s growing strategic influence in Latin America. The corridor brings together Argentina,…

September 04, 2026

From Evidence to Intelligence: Forensic Science Strengthens Fight Against Transnational Crime

Seizing drugs or arresting suspects can disrupt criminal operations, but dismantling transnational criminal networks requires something more enduring: evidence that connects crimes, weapons, drugs, and suspects across jurisdictions. Increasingly, forensic science is providing those connections, turning isolated investigations into intelligence that supports coordinated operations and stronger prosecutions. “Forensic science has become a strategic priority because it is a way to…

September 03, 2026

Georgia Guard Soldiers Train Alongside US, Panamanian Partners in Jungle Operations

High heat, constant humidity, heavy rainfall, dense vegetation, dangerous animals, and countless insects are what soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 54th Security Force Assistance Brigade faced while training alongside other U.S. service members and Panamanian security forces at the Combined Jungle Training Center-South in Panama from June 13 through July 3. “The moment I stepped off the bus at the…

September 03, 2026

Vice Minister Cruz: “Criminal Networks Are Dynamic and Agile in Their Communications; Governments Must Be as Well”

Guatemala is transforming its border security model to respond to increasingly dynamic and sophisticated transnational criminal networks. The country is moving from an approach focused primarily on interdiction toward a strategy based on intelligence, risk analysis, and anticipation, with greater coordination among security, customs, and immigration authorities, as well as new technological and analytical capabilities. In an exclusive interview with…

September 02, 2026

China’s Lithium Push Deepens Latin America’s Strategic Dependence

The expansion of Chinese companies in Latin America’s lithium sector has evolved from a purely commercial enterprise into a source of geopolitical leverage. Beijing’s ambitions extend well beyond mining. Chinese firms are increasingly seeking influence across the entire lithium value chain — from extraction and processing to exports, and, increasingly, the regulatory frameworks that govern these resources. Evan Ellis, research…

September 01, 2026

SOUTHAM 2026 Brings South American Air Chiefs Together to Address Regional Challenges

Air chiefs and senior military leaders from across South America gathered in Tucson, Arizona, August 25-28 for the South American Air Chiefs Conference (SOUTHAM) 2026, a four-day conference focused on strengthening regional cooperation and developing coordinated approaches to shared security challenges across the Western Hemisphere. Hosted by U.S. Air Forces Southern/12th Air Force (AFSOUTH), the air component to U.S. Southern…