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Securing the Supply Chain: China’s Critical Minerals Network and the Security Risks for the AmericasStrategic Influence

Securing the Supply Chain: China’s Critical Minerals Network and the Security Risks for the Americas

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global demand for critical minerals is expected to grow by more than 6 percent annually through 2030, driven by the energy transition, the digitalization of economies, and intensifying technological competition among major powers. In this context, Latin America occupies a pivotal position: The region holds around half of the world’s lithium reserves, more…

September 14, 2026
Ecuador, US Target Los Choneros’ Maritime Logistics in Eastern PacificTransnational Crime

Ecuador, US Target Los Choneros’ Maritime Logistics in Eastern Pacific

Six maritime interdictions in less than two weeks in the Eastern Pacific are putting the spotlight on a critical part of Los Choneros’ drug trafficking infrastructure: the vessels that supply criminal networks at sea and allow them to operate across vast stretches of ocean. On August 28 and September 2, 3, 5, 7, and 8, U.S. forces interdicted Ecuadorian vessels…

September 14, 2026
Central America Strengthens Aerial Surveillance Against Transnational CrimeEmerging Threats

Central America Strengthens Aerial Surveillance Against Transnational Crime

Central American security forces are incorporating unmanned aerial systems and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities to counter increasingly mobile and technologically sophisticated criminal organizations. These tools expand surveillance over borders, coastlines, and remote forested areas, at a time when criminal networks themselves are also using drones to monitor their surroundings, transport illicit goods, and support other illegal activities. Situational…

September 11, 2026
Colombia Targets Criminal Corridors Along Its Caribbean CoastTransnational Crime

Colombia Targets Criminal Corridors Along Its Caribbean Coast

Recent Colombian Army operations in northern Colombia underscore the Caribbean’s strategic importance to the criminal organizations operating in the country. Controlling coastal corridors, transportation routes, and maritime departure points remains one of these groups’ primary objectives, while the Colombian government combines intelligence, sustained territorial presence, and international cooperation to restrict their freedom of movement. On June 15, the Colombian Army…

September 11, 2026
Maritime Intelligence Tightens the Net on Drug Trafficking RoutesTransnational Crime

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 OperationsSecurity & Cooperation

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
China Consolidates Its Position in Peru’s Critical Minerals SectorStrategic Influence

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
Organized Crime Turns Legitimate Cargo into Chemical Pipeline for NarcoticsTransnational Crime

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 AmericaStrategic Influence

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 CrimeTransnational Crime

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 OperationsSecurity & Cooperation

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
China’s Lithium Push Deepens Latin America’s Strategic DependenceStrategic Influence

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