Browsing: News

Tracking the Shadow Fleet: How Maritime Enforcement Is Evolving in the HemisphereTransnational Crime

Tracking the Shadow Fleet: How Maritime Enforcement Is Evolving in the Hemisphere

May 20, 2026

Illicit maritime networks operating across the Western Hemisphere are becoming increasingly sophisticated. No longer relying solely on isolated smuggling vessels or covert nighttime movements, sanctioned actors and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) now operate through complex maritime structures designed to obscure ownership, conceal cargo origins, and exploit legal and regulatory gaps across jurisdictions. These evolving networks — often referred to as…

GLACSED: A New Regional Framework to Combat Organized Crime in Latin America and the CaribbeanTransnational Crime

GLACSED: A New Regional Framework to Combat Organized Crime in Latin America and the Caribbean

May 19, 2026

Guatemala served as the epicenter of an ambitious regional effort, bringing together leaders from security forces, local authorities, experts, and representatives of civil society at the Latin American and Caribbean Forum on Democratic Security and Territorial Governance. The event, held in mid-February, marked the launch of the Latin American and Caribbean Group on Security and Democracy (GLACSED), a key initiative…

Space Conference of the Americas: Space Challenges Know No BordersEmerging Threats

Space Conference of the Americas: Space Challenges Know No Borders

May 18, 2026

As space becomes increasingly important for security, defense, disaster response, and technological development, military leaders and representatives from partner nations from across the hemisphere gathered at U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) headquarters in Doral, Florida, April 28–30, for the Space Conference of the Americas 2026, hosted by SOUTHCOM in collaboration with U.S. Space Command (SPACECOM). The conference brought together senior military…

New Map of Organized Crime in BrazilTransnational Crime

New Map of Organized Crime in Brazil

May 18, 2026

Organized crime in Brazil is undergoing a profound transformation. The continued expansion of drug trafficking — illustrated by sharp increases in drug seizures in parts of the country, including a reported 40 percent rise in Pará state in 2025 — combined with the growing exploitation of Brazil’s financial ecosystem, including parts of the fintech sector, is reshaping criminal networks and…

Efforts Grow to Counter China’s Expanding Distant-Water Fishing FleetStrategic Influence

Efforts Grow to Counter China’s Expanding Distant-Water Fishing Fleet

May 15, 2026

A growing international coalition of governments, civil society organizations, and fishing-sector stakeholders is calling for stronger controls on China’s distant-water fishing fleet operating in the South Pacific. Their concerns go beyond sustainability. The expansion of China’s fleet has increasingly raised questions about maritime security, high seas governance, and the ability of coastal states to safeguard their sovereignty and economic interests…

From Isolation to Integration: Venezuela’s Emerging Role in Regional Counter-TCO EffortsTransnational Crime

From Isolation to Integration: Venezuela’s Emerging Role in Regional Counter-TCO Efforts

May 14, 2026

Venezuela’s role in regional efforts to counter transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) may be entering a new phase. Following the January 2026 arrest of Nicolás Maduro, the country has entered a fluid political transition under interim leadership. At the same time, diplomatic engagement with the United States and neighboring countries has begun to reopen channels that had long been closed. While…

Gold from the Amazon: How Illegal Mining Fuels and Expands Organized Crime in the Guiana ShieldTransnational Crime

Gold from the Amazon: How Illegal Mining Fuels and Expands Organized Crime in the Guiana Shield

May 13, 2026

In the Amazonian expanse of the Guiana Shield — a region that includes Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and adjacent parts of Brazil, Venezuela, and Colombia — illegal gold mining has moved beyond a supporting illicit activity to become a parallel and increasingly resilient source of financing and territorial control for organized crime, operating alongside — and in some areas reinforcing…

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…