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Readiness Through Partnership: LAMAT 2026 Delivers Care in Saint LuciaSecurity & Cooperation

Readiness Through Partnership: LAMAT 2026 Delivers Care in Saint Lucia

May 13, 2026

U.S. Air Force medical and support personnel returned to Saint Lucia to conduct the Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team (LAMAT) 2026 mission in partnership with the Saint Lucia Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs, continuing a long-standing collaboration focused on patient care and clinical knowledge exchange across the island. The two-week engagement integrated U.S. Air Force active-duty and reserve…

Guatemala Strengthens Border Security Through Expanded Operational CapabilitiesTransnational Crime

Guatemala Strengthens Border Security Through Expanded Operational Capabilities

May 12, 2026

Guatemala is strengthening its operational capabilities against transnational criminal networks through a series of initiatives that include specialized training, joint exercises, technical assistance, and logistical support carried out in close cooperation with the United States. This effort takes place within a regional environment where increasingly sophisticated transnational criminal organizations demand more integrated and coordinated responses. The U.S. Embassy in Guatemala…

US, French, and Dutch Forces Sign Charter to Dismantle Cartel Operations Across the Caribbean and AtlanticTransnational Crime

US, French, and Dutch Forces Sign Charter to Dismantle Cartel Operations Across the Caribbean and Atlantic

May 12, 2026

Senior military leaders from the French Republic, Kingdom of the Netherlands, and the United States convened in Key West, Florida, April 28-29, 2026, to strengthen coordination against transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) operating across the Western Hemisphere. The allied forces reaffirmed their commitment to expanding partnerships, improving information sharing, and enhancing operational cooperation to counter regional TCO and counternarcotics threats. The…

A New Phase in Central America’s Fight Against Sophisticated Criminal NetworksTransnational Crime

A New Phase in Central America’s Fight Against Sophisticated Criminal Networks

May 11, 2026

The fight against criminal structures in Central America has entered a new phase: dismantling their growing operational sophistication. In both Honduras and Guatemala, security forces are not only confronting criminal networks but are identifying and dismantling their advanced physical and technological infrastructure, reflecting a broader regional effort to counter transnational criminal organizations. This shift underscores the increasing importance of intelligence-driven…

There is Nowhere to Hide: Joint Operation Tridente Chokes Off Narcoterrorism in the Eastern PacificTransnational Crime

There is Nowhere to Hide: Joint Operation Tridente Chokes Off Narcoterrorism in the Eastern Pacific

May 08, 2026

In a relentless demonstration of multinational capability, the United States and Colombia executed Operation Tridente (Trident) in April, targeting key maritime smuggling routes in the Eastern Pacific and reinforcing a clear message: Narcoterrorist networks can no longer rely on maritime borders to escape justice. Coordinated by U.S. Southern Command’s (SOUTHCOM) Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-S) which brings together a…

How Organized Crime Is Reinventing Money Laundering in Latin AmericaTransnational Crime

How Organized Crime Is Reinventing Money Laundering in Latin America

May 07, 2026

Approximately $400 billion is laundered each year in Latin America through activities such as corruption, tax evasion, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and the use of shell companies. Although efforts to combat money laundering has improved over the years, progress remains uneven across the region. Countries collectively still rank below the global average according to the Basel 2025 Index, which measures…

Coordinated Operations and Regional Cooperation Drive Mexico’s Security GainsTransnational Crime

Coordinated Operations and Regional Cooperation Drive Mexico’s Security Gains

May 06, 2026

The Mexican government has intensified efforts against transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) operating across the hemisphere. These actions include drug seizures along maritime routes, arrests of members of these groups, and expanded coordination with international partners. “This shift reflects an adjustment in security strategy observed since late 2025, focused on dismantling criminal structures through narcotics interdiction and the capture of leaders…

Bolivia’s Role in South America’s Drug Networks Deepens as Trafficking Dynamics EvolveTransnational Crime

Bolivia’s Role in South America’s Drug Networks Deepens as Trafficking Dynamics Evolve

May 05, 2026

Drug-related violence in Bolivia is escalating, with executions and score-settling highlighting intensifying competition for international trafficking corridors. These dynamics are increasingly linked to disputes over access to routes and control of cocaine flows, rather than isolated criminal acts. This trend reflects greater coordination among transnational networks, as international cooperation efforts aim to contain its impact on regional security. “Homicides —…

Southern Vanguard 2026: Strengthening Regional Cooperation in the AmazonSecurity & Cooperation

Southern Vanguard 2026: Strengthening Regional Cooperation in the Amazon

May 04, 2026

As Southern Vanguard 2026 approaches, the annual multinational exercise highlights a defining feature of today’s security landscape: complex threats require collective responses. Sponsored by U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) and led by U.S. Army South (ARSOUTH) in partnership with regional allies, Southern Vanguard brings together U.S. and partner nation forces to train side by side in challenging operational environments. The exercise…

LAMAT 2026: US Air Force Medics Deliver Care in the AmazonSecurity & Cooperation

LAMAT 2026: US Air Force Medics Deliver Care in the Amazon

May 01, 2026

U.S. Air Force medical teams operated in a remote Amazonian environment, delivering care alongside Surinamese healthcare professionals while sharpening expeditionary readiness under real-world conditions. Working from the Medische Zending Primary Health Care Center in Brownsweg, U.S. and Surinamese medical teams executed Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team (LAMAT) 2026, an Air Force Southern-led health security cooperation that expands access to care…

Chancay Port: A Geopolitical Challenge for PeruStrategic Influence

Chancay Port: A Geopolitical Challenge for Peru

May 01, 2026

The case of the Port of Chancay, developed by the Chinese state-owned company COSCO Shipping, has sparked legal and political controversy in Peru. Following a court ruling that excludes it from oversight by the Supervisory Agency for Investment in Public Transport Infrastructure (Ositrán), risks to the country’s sovereignty, geopolitical stability, and institutional fragility have come into sharper focus. This conflict,…

Peru Under Pressure: Illegal Mining, Illicit Exports, and China’s Role in Expanding Criminal Supply ChainsStrategic Influence

Peru Under Pressure: Illegal Mining, Illicit Exports, and China’s Role in Expanding Criminal Supply Chains

April 30, 2026

An investigation into the illegal trafficking of gold and mining tailings from Peru to China has exposed a sophisticated criminal network involving multiple companies, millions of dollars in illicit flows, and significant environmental damage. The investigation highlights how illegal mining is increasingly integrated into formal export channels — and how China’s demand is shaping the dynamics of this illicit economy.…