The Amazon region of Peru, which borders Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia, and Ecuador is plagued by narcotrafficking, illegal mining, and environmental crime, increasing threats, fear, and loss of biodiversity, environmental journalism news site Mongabay, reported in early May. “Many structural factors such as social vulnerability, the lack of presence of the [ … ]
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Chile and SOUTHCOM Strengthen Cooperation with Exercise Fused Response
Special Operations Command South (SOCSOUTH), a component of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), together with the Chilean Armed Forces, conducted exercise Fused Response in the Valparaíso and Santiago Metropolitan regions of Chile. “With this exercise, the goal is to work together to strengthen us and also to increase interoperability,” said U.S. [ … ]
JTF-Bravo Oversees $25,000 Medication Donation to La Reina, El Salvador
Soldiers from U.S. Southern Command’s (SOUTHCOM) Joint Task Force Bravo’s (JTF-Bravo) 436th Civil Affairs Battalion Alpha Company oversaw a medication donation worth approximately $25,000 during a ceremony May 18 in La Reina, El Salvador. By working alongside El Salvador’s 4th Brigade of the Armed Forces and other local governmental officials [ … ]
China to Proceed with Fourth Bridge over Panama Canal
Panama, together with the Chinese consortium made up of state-owned China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) and China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), signed an addendum to resume construction “in the coming months” of the fourth bridge over the Panamanian interoceanic canal, La Estrella de Panamá reported. The bridge is expected to [ … ]
US Marines Take Part in Suriname Jungle Training
U.S. Marines with 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment (1/2), 2nd Marine Division (MARDIV) accepted an invitation from the commandant of the Netherlands Marine Corps to participate in a unique training experience in the Surinamese jungles in Northern South America. The Suriname Army hosted an eight-week jungle training course, March 27- [ … ]
Brazilian Army Combats Cross-border and Environmental Crimes in the Amazon
The Brazilian Army’s (EB) Military Command of the Amazon (CMA) intensified patrols in the Javari Valley, in the Amazon region that borders Peru, as part of Operation Jacuixito, which goal was to strengthen EB’s presence in the region to prevent and combat transborder and environmental crimes, such as mining, drug [ … ]
Iran, Nicaragua Seek Military Cooperation
Nicaragua and Iran explored the possibility of strengthening military cooperation, during a meeting led by Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian with senior officers of the Nicaraguan Army, The New York Times reported in late April, based on a leaked Pentagon document. “Nicaragua’s Daniel Ortega in his agreements with Iran [ … ]
Peru Destroys Clandestine Airstrips and Clips the Wings of Narcotrafficking
Peruvian authorities dealt a blow to international narcotrafficking by destroying 18 clandestine airstrips used to move drugs from the Peruvian jungle to neighboring countries and Europe, the Ministry of the Interior said in a statement. The Peruvian National Police’s objective is to have more than 30 clandestine airstrips destroyed by [ … ]
Colombia Seizes Largest Semi-submersible in Its History
The Colombian Navy intercepted the largest semi-submersible in its history in the Colombian Pacific in mid-May. The narco sub, crewed by three Colombians and headed for Central America, was 30 meters long and 3 meters wide and was loaded with 3,058 kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride. Radars on Colombian Navy ships [ … ]
CANSEC 2023 Takes Action Against Cybercrime and the Impact of Climate Change
For the second time, Jamaica co-hosted the Caribbean Nations Security Conference (CANSEC) 2023, held in Montego Bay, Jamaica, June 6-9, 2023. CANSEC, a U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) annual regional security forum, brought together 21 nations, under the theme, “Strengthening Regional Security Through Informed Action.” CANSEC aims at fostering ties of cooperation, examining challenges, sharing lessons learned, and [ … ]
‘Fake Content Industry’ Threatens Press Freedom Worldwide
The World Press Freedom Index 2023 of French nongovernmental organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) evaluates the environment for journalism in 180 countries and territories and highlights the effects the “fake content industry” has on press freedom in the digital ecosystem. China is among the top offenders, which according to RFS, [ … ]
OAS: Regional Crime Observatories Critical to Combating Common Threats
The Inter-American Community of Crime Observatories of the Organization of American States (OAS) held its first Virtual Dialogue of 2023. It was attended by 229 guests from countries that make up the OAS, who focused on the work of these entities to guide action through the understanding and analysis of [ … ]