In late November 2021, the Uruguayan Ministry of the Interior reported that the Police of the Rivera department seized more than 1,500 kilograms of marijuana, a record seizure of this drug for the South American country. The seizure took place under Operation Ryguasu, which after months of investigations determined that [ … ]
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Argentina: Naval Prefecture and Gendarmerie Seize 12.5 Tons of Marijuana
On November 15, 2021, the Argentine Naval Prefecture seized nearly 2,500 kilograms of marijuana in the city of Corpus, Misiones province. The operation began in the area known as Puerto Natural Revinski, located at kilometer 1664 on the Paraná River. There, authorities detected a vessel that was arriving on the [ … ]
Paraguay, Brazil Strengthen Fight Against Organized Crime
In late November, the Paraguayan National Anti-Drug Secretariat (SENAD, in Spanish) and the Brazilian Federal Police (PF, in Portuguese) inaugurated the Strategic Intelligence Directorate Mbareté Base in Pedro Juan Caballero, Amambay department, on the border with Brazil, on a property that authorities had seized in a binational operation against narcotrafficking, [ … ]
US Donates Hospitals to Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
The U.S. government, through U.S. Southern Command’s (SOUTHCOM) Humanitarian Assistance Program (HAP), donated four mobile hospitals for emergencies and natural disasters to Antigua and Barbuda and to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. On November 18, 2021, U.S. Ambassador to the Eastern Caribbean Linda S. Taglialatela handed over two of the [ … ]
China Tests Hypersonic Vehicle that Fires Missiles and Can Carry Nuclear Warheads
China is conducting tests with a vehicle that reaches five times the speed of sound and is capable of carrying nuclear warheads and firing missiles. The Financial Times first reported the information in October 2021, although the tests were conducted on July 27 and August 13. According to the British [ … ]
Paraguay, Brazil Take 416 Tons of Marijuana out of Circulation
The Paraguayan National Anti-Drug Secretariat (SENAD, in Spanish) and the Brazilian Federal Police (PF, in Portuguese) took 400 tons of marijuana out of circulation during Operation New Alliance (Operación Nueva Alianza) XXVIII. The combined operation was conducted in Amambay department, Paraguay, with support from PF and Paraguayan Air Force helicopters, [ … ]
Brazilian Federal Police Operation Shows Link Between Narcotrafficking and Mines in the Amazon
On November 4, 2021, the Brazilian Federal Police (PF, in Portuguese) launched Operation Narcos Gold to decapitalize and dismantle a criminal group that operated in the state of Pará for at least three years, promoting money laundering from narcotrafficking and using gold mining as a front. The operation involved more [ … ]
Brazil: Federal Police Dismantles Group that Shipped Cocaine to Europe
On November 18, 2021, during Operation Calvary, the Brazilian Federal Police (PF, in Portuguese) dismantled an organization that was shipping cocaine to Europe by sea. About 150 PF agents served 36 search and seizure warrants, six arrest warrants and four temporary arrest warrants in several states, including São Paulo and [ … ]
SOUTHCOM Commander Makes her First Official Visit to Brazil
During her first official visit to Brazil, November 22-24, 2021, since assuming duties as commander of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) on October 29, U.S. Army General Laura J. Richardson, the first woman to lead the institution, met with government officials and military commanders at the Ministry of Defense in Brasilia [ … ]
Largest Combined Exercise Between Brazilian and US Troops Comes to an End
A morning graduation ceremony on December 16, in the Marshal Mascarenhas de Moraes courtyard, at the Agulhas Negras Military Academy (AMAN, in Portuguese), in Resende, Rio de Janeiro, marked the end of Exercise CORE 21, also known in the United States as Southern Vanguard 22. For 10 days, troops of [ … ]
Pirates Pose High Risk for Sailors in Northeastern Venezuela
The coast of Sucre state, in northeastern Venezuela, has become the most dangerous place in the country for piracy, according to the latest report by the Organization for Rescue and Maritime Safety of the Aquatic Areas of Venezuela (ONSA, in Spanish), which in October established new risk zones based on [ … ]
SOUTHCOM Commander Discusses Regional Security Issues at Defense Forum
Enhancing U.S. security through partnerships and alliances with other nations was the topic discussed by U.S. Army General Laura J. Richardson, commander of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), and U.S. Navy Admiral John Aquilino, commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, and other panelists at the Reagan National Defense Forum on December 4, [ … ]