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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
SOUTHAM 2026 Brings South American Air Chiefs Together to Address Regional ChallengesSecurity & Cooperation

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…

September 01, 2026
Panama Strengthens Cyber Defense to Protect Critical InfrastructureEmerging Threats

Panama Strengthens Cyber Defense to Protect Critical Infrastructure

Panama is strengthening its ability to protect the digital systems that support government operations and critical infrastructure. The country recently advanced this effort by operationalizing its State Cybersecurity Operations Center, designed to continuously monitor government networks, improve incident response, and strengthen protection against increasingly sophisticated threats. Led by the National Authority for Government Innovation (AIG), the initiative forms part of…

August 31, 2026
‘Ndrangheta in Ecuador: A Growing Threat to Regional SecurityTransnational Crime

‘Ndrangheta in Ecuador: A Growing Threat to Regional Security

With global cocaine production reaching a record estimated 4,100 metric tons in 2024, Ecuador has emerged as one of the principal departure points for cocaine shipments bound for international markets. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the country seized nearly 300 metric tons of drugs in 2024 — one of the highest totals in the…

August 31, 2026
Why Guaviare Matters: FARC Dissident Rivalries Threaten Colombia’s Strategic Trafficking CorridorsTransnational Crime

Why Guaviare Matters: FARC Dissident Rivalries Threaten Colombia’s Strategic Trafficking Corridors

The Colombian department of Guaviare has become one of the principal battlegrounds in the conflict between rival dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Rather than fighting over coca cultivation alone, the armed groups are competing for control of strategic trafficking corridors, criminal economies, and key logistics routes. Following the 2016 peace agreement, the FARC fighters who…

August 28, 2026
China’s Expansion in Squid Fishery Poses New Maritime Security ChallengesStrategic Influence

China’s Expansion in Squid Fishery Poses New Maritime Security Challenges

The expansion of China’s fishing fleet in South American waters is no longer limited to the large concentrations of vessels operating on the high seas along the edge of the region’s exclusive economic zones (EEZs). Chinese companies have also expanded their presence within national fishing fleets through acquisitions, local subsidiaries, and the reflagging of vessels, allowing them to operate both…

August 28, 2026
Ports, Data, and Critical Infrastructure: Protecting Guatemala’s Strategic AssetsStrategic Influence

Ports, Data, and Critical Infrastructure: Protecting Guatemala’s Strategic Assets

With a population of more than 18 million, the largest economy in Central America, and a strategic location between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, Guatemala occupies a unique position in the region. As the country modernizes its port, digital, and technological infrastructure, Chinese companies and technologies have expanded their presence across multiple sectors. This has prompted broader discussions about how…

August 27, 2026
Ecuador: At the Heart of the Reconfiguration of Andean Illicit CorridorsTransnational Crime

Ecuador: At the Heart of the Reconfiguration of Andean Illicit Corridors

The arrest in Ecuador of Luis Rolando Osorio Arévalo, alias Mison, accused by Colombian authorities of helping facilitate the expansion of Tren de Aragua in Bogotá, offered a glimpse into a broader transformation taking place across the Andes. Osorio was arrested in Ecuador following a coordinated operation between the security forces of Ecuador and Colombia and was transferred to Colombian…

August 25, 2026