Get the latest security and defense stories from across the Americas.
Transnational Crime Thanks to its detection dogs, the Paraguayan National Anti-Drug Secretariat (SENAD, in Spanish) has discovered unusual methods to hide narcotics at the Silvio Pettirossi International Airport, in the Asunción metropolitan area. On November 23, 2020, agents opened two mail parcels that were seized days prior, in order to discover the methods narcotraffickers use. One of the parcels contained 34 cans…
Transnational Crime The Brazilian Federal Police (PF, in Portuguese) seized nearly 2.5 tons of cocaine hydrochloride, on December 1, 2020, in Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro. According to the PF, this seizure was the largest ever conducted in the state and one of the largest in Brazil. The PF received information about a criminal organization using a warehouse to store the…
Transnational Crime The Paraguayan National Anti-Drug Secretariat (SENAD, in Spanish) deployed operations to eradicate marijuana plantations and narco-camps in natural reserves. Agents carried out the first operation on December 2, in San Rafael Park, Itapúa department, where traffickers have been destroying the vegetation to plant cannabis crops. After venturing into wooded and protected areas near the towns of Las Mercedes and San…
Transnational Crime The Colombian Military Forces’ General Command (CGFM, in Spanish) reported on November 12, 2020 that Army troops captured Leison Jiménez Mosquera, designer and developer of semisubmersibles for narcotrafficking. The operation took place in San Juan municipality, Chocó department. “Jiménez [is] accused of being a link between narcotraffickers and the National Liberation Army [ELN, in Spanish] guerrilla group. These terrorists provided…
Transnational Crime So far this year, Panama has seized a minimum of 3.1 tons of drugs in at least seven operations, the National Air and Naval Service (SENAN, in Spanish), Panama’s main anti-drug institution, reported on January 26. “During the 2021 period to date, the National Air and Naval Service, through the execution of seven operations, has seized a total of 3,139…
Security & Cooperation U.S. Navy Admiral Craig S. Faller, commander of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), and Brigadier Godfrey Bess, Guyana Defence Force (GDF) chief of Staff, signed the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement at Guyana’s State House, on January 12, 2021. The agreement will facilitate logistics support between both countries in combined exercises, deployment, training, and other cooperation efforts. “As I stand here alongside…
Security & Cooperation On January 25, U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires in Uruguay Jennifer Savage, together with Uruguayan Navy representatives, welcomed the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stone (USCGC Stone) in the Port of Montevideo — the first visit of this kind in more than a decade. The ship, under the command of Captain Adam B. Morrison, is part of the U.S. Coast Guard, under…
Security & Cooperation The Freedom-class littoral combat ship USS Freedom (LCS 1) executed a passing exercise (PASSEX) with its naval counterparts from El Salvador and Guatemala, January 21. PASSEXs are a series of advanced close proximity maneuvering exercises designed to improve interoperability and advance partner nations’ ability to communicate, navigate, and operate together at sea. “This tri-lateral PASSEX, strengthens our tactical readiness and…
Security & Cooperation The U.S. Coast Guard’s brand new National Security Cutter, the USCGC Stone, departed from Pascagoula, Mississippi, on December 22, 2020, on its inaugural sail, the Operation Southern Cross, aimed to counter illegal, unregulated, and unreported (IUU) fishing in the South Atlantic. Operation Southern Cross will strengthen relationships with partner nations toward maritime cooperation and security in the region. The ship…
Security & Cooperation U.S. Navy Admiral Craig S. Faller, commander of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), visited Suriname on January 13, 2021, deepening the already friendly military ties between the two nations. During the visit, Adm. Faller had a working meeting with Surinamese President Chandrikapersad Santokhi, met with Minister of Defense Krishna Mathoera, and held discussions with Suriname Army Colonel Robert Kartodikromo, commander of…
Strategic Influence Four South American countries joined forces November 4 in a bid to combat illegal fishing by huge Chinese fleets off their coasts. Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru threatened measures “to prevent, discourage and jointly confront” illegal fishing near their exclusive economic zones in the Pacific. The joint statement made no specific mention of China but environmental groups Greenpeace and Oceana…
Strategic Influence Two key concepts of the U.S. National Defense Strategy are partnerships and expanding the competitive space in all domains — and that’s what the U.S. Defense Department is doing at U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) and globally, said U.S. Navy Admiral Craig S. Faller, SOUTHCOM commander. Adm. Faller said on January 14 that those efforts include training and education with partner…
