Browsing: News

China Strengthens Its Influence in Cuba’s Strategic Nickel SectorStrategic Influence

China Strengthens Its Influence in Cuba’s Strategic Nickel Sector

As Canadian company Sherritt International’s participation in Cuba’s nickel sector faces a period of uncertainty after initially announcing plans to withdraw from one of its joint ventures with the Havana regime, China is steadily expanding its technological support for the island’s mining industry. The introduction of Chinese-supplied equipment to modernize aging facilities is helping keep one of the Cuban regime’s…

July 20, 2026
Water First: How Panama Balances Essential Services and Canal Security During PANAMAXSecurity & Cooperation

Water First: How Panama Balances Essential Services and Canal Security During PANAMAX

As Panama prepares to host PANAMAX 2026, national authorities are approaching the multinational exercise through a principle that has become increasingly central to the country’s long-term planning: water comes first. The exercise, which brings together partner nations to strengthen coordination for the protection of the Panama Canal and other strategic infrastructure, will take place within a system where water management…

July 17, 2026
SOUTHCOM Commander Meets with Ecuadorian Leaders to Strengthen Security CooperationSecurity & Cooperation

SOUTHCOM Commander Meets with Ecuadorian Leaders to Strengthen Security Cooperation

U.S. Marine Corps General Francis L. Donovan, commander of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), met with President Daniel Noboa and senior Ecuadorian defense officials on March 2 in Quito, Ecuador, to discuss security cooperation and reaffirm the United States’ strong commitment to supporting the nation’s efforts to confront narco-terrorism and strengthen regional security. The March 1-2 trip to Ecuador was Gen.…

July 17, 2026
USS San Antonio Supports Sustained Humanitarian Operations in VenezuelaSecurity & Cooperation

USS San Antonio Supports Sustained Humanitarian Operations in Venezuela

Demonstrating an unwavering commitment to ongoing disaster relief efforts, the amphibious transport dock USS San Antonio (LPD 17) arrived pierside in La Guaira, Venezuela, on July 9. The San Antonio seamlessly relieved the USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28) as the primary maritime component center in support of the U.S. Department of State-led humanitarian assistance mission following the devastating June 24…

July 17, 2026
The Americas’ Four-Legged First Responders: The Critical Role of K9 Units in Venezuela’s Earthquake ResponseSecurity & Cooperation

The Americas’ Four-Legged First Responders: The Critical Role of K9 Units in Venezuela’s Earthquake Response

When ABC News reported the rescue of a dog and her puppies from the rubble of the earthquake that devastated Venezuela, the story seemed like one of many moving accounts to emerge from the tragedy. But the dog did more than lead rescuers to her puppies. Her persistent barking drew their attention to a section of the rubble, where they…

July 16, 2026
Panama and Costa Rica Deepen Security Cooperation Along Shared BorderTransnational Crime

Panama and Costa Rica Deepen Security Cooperation Along Shared Border

Panama and Costa Rica are deepening their border cooperation through enhanced surveillance, coordinated patrols, and intelligence sharing as transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) continue to adapt their operations along one of Central America’s most important land corridors. That effort took another step forward in April, when officials from both countries met in the Paso Canoas border area to discuss measures aimed…

July 16, 2026
Trusted Technology: Taiwan and the United States Strengthen Latin America’s Digital SecurityEmerging Threats

Trusted Technology: Taiwan and the United States Strengthen Latin America’s Digital Security

Artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, and digital infrastructure are becoming increasingly important components of national security in Latin America. As government modernize public services and expand digital networks, concerns about cyberattacks, data protection, technological dependence, and the security of critical systems are moving closer to the center of national security planning. In response, several countries are expanding technology partnerships designed to…

July 14, 2026
Operation Neptuno Delivers Decisive Blow to Narcotraffickers in Eastern PacificTransnational Crime

Operation Neptuno Delivers Decisive Blow to Narcotraffickers in Eastern Pacific

In a powerful display of international cooperation, the United States, Guatemala, and Mexico recently joined forces to execute interdiction operations as part of Operation Neptuno, a targeted effort against maritime smuggling routes in the Eastern Pacific. The operation sends a clear message to narcotrafficking networks: The international community is united and relentless in its efforts to dismantle illicit operations. Coordinated…

July 14, 2026
Hemispheric Capabilities Strengthen Earthquake Response in VenezuelaSecurity & Cooperation

Hemispheric Capabilities Strengthen Earthquake Response in Venezuela

The earthquake that struck northern Venezuela on June 24 triggered a broad mobilization of hemispheric humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) capabilities, with urban search and rescue teams, medical personnel, aircraft, search dogs, emergency supplies, communications specialists, and logistical support deployed from countries across the Americas. More than a collection of bilateral aid efforts, the operation demonstrated how advance preparation,…

July 13, 2026
Restoring State Presence in Cauca: Colombia’s Long-Term Security ChallengeTransnational Crime

Restoring State Presence in Cauca: Colombia’s Long-Term Security Challenge

Colombia’s department of Cauca remains one of the country’s most challenging security environments, where guerrilla factions born from the remnants of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) continue to exploit coca-producing areas, strategic trafficking corridors, and difficult terrain despite sustained government security operations. The department sits at a critical nexus of drug trafficking routes, connecting Colombia’s interior with departure…

July 13, 2026
China’s Strategic Infrastructure in Cuba: Surveillance, Intelligence, and Regional PowerStrategic Influence

China’s Strategic Infrastructure in Cuba: Surveillance, Intelligence, and Regional Power

Since May, Cuba has seen several protests over the country’s deepening energy crisis and the rolling blackouts that continue to disrupt daily life. Independent journalists have also reported repeated internet outages, even after electricity service has been restored. “The regime cuts communications,” journalist Mag Jorge Castro wrote on X, describing a “massive internet outage in Havana.” These incidents point to…

July 10, 2026
Jamaica’s MOCA: Leading the Fight Against Cyber-Enabled Transnational Organized CrimeTransnational Crime

Jamaica’s MOCA: Leading the Fight Against Cyber-Enabled Transnational Organized Crime

For years, the public image of Jamaica’s fraud problem has been dominated by one phrase: lottery scamming. But according to the Director General of Jamaica’s Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA), Colonel (R.) Desmond Edwards, that characterization no longer reflects the scale, sophistication, or operational realities of the threat facing Jamaica and the wider Caribbean. “What we are confronting…

July 09, 2026