Get the latest security and defense stories from across the Americas.
Transnational Crime Approximately $400 billion is laundered each year in Latin America through activities such as corruption, tax evasion, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and the use of shell companies. Although efforts to combat money laundering has improved over the years, progress remains uneven across the region. Countries collectively still rank below the global average according to the Basel 2025 Index, which measures…
Transnational Crime The Mexican government has intensified efforts against transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) operating across the hemisphere. These actions include drug seizures along maritime routes, arrests of members of these groups, and expanded coordination with international partners. “This shift reflects an adjustment in security strategy observed since late 2025, focused on dismantling criminal structures through narcotics interdiction and the capture of leaders…
Transnational Crime Drug-related violence in Bolivia is escalating, with executions and score-settling highlighting intensifying competition for international trafficking corridors. These dynamics are increasingly linked to disputes over access to routes and control of cocaine flows, rather than isolated criminal acts. This trend reflects greater coordination among transnational networks, as international cooperation efforts aim to contain its impact on regional security. “Homicides —…
Security & Cooperation As Southern Vanguard 2026 approaches, the annual multinational exercise highlights a defining feature of today’s security landscape: complex threats require collective responses. Sponsored by U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) and led by U.S. Army South (ARSOUTH) in partnership with regional allies, Southern Vanguard brings together U.S. and partner nation forces to train side by side in challenging operational environments. The exercise…
Security & Cooperation U.S. Air Force medical teams operated in a remote Amazonian environment, delivering care alongside Surinamese healthcare professionals while sharpening expeditionary readiness under real-world conditions. Working from the Medische Zending Primary Health Care Center in Brownsweg, U.S. and Surinamese medical teams executed Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team (LAMAT) 2026, an Air Force Southern-led health security cooperation that expands access to care…
Strategic Influence The case of the Port of Chancay, developed by the Chinese state-owned company COSCO Shipping, has sparked legal and political controversy in Peru. Following a court ruling that excludes it from oversight by the Supervisory Agency for Investment in Public Transport Infrastructure (Ositrán), risks to the country’s sovereignty, geopolitical stability, and institutional fragility have come into sharper focus. This conflict,…
Strategic Influence An investigation into the illegal trafficking of gold and mining tailings from Peru to China has exposed a sophisticated criminal network involving multiple companies, millions of dollars in illicit flows, and significant environmental damage. The investigation highlights how illegal mining is increasingly integrated into formal export channels — and how China’s demand is shaping the dynamics of this illicit economy.…
Security & Cooperation Military and civilian personnel from Central America and the United States concluded CENTAM Guardian 2026 (CG26), a multinational exercise aimed at enhancing regional security cooperation, disaster response, and interoperability among partner nations. During the CG26 closing ceremony, participants from all partner nations came together to mark the successful completion of the exercise. They celebrated the collaboration and combined achievements over…
Transnational Crime A newly formalized intelligence-sharing agreement between Colombia and Brazil is already translating into operational gains across the Amazon, as both countries deepen coordination against narcotrafficking and illegal mining along their shared waterways. Colombia and Brazil have formalized procedures for the exchange of intelligence information through a bilateral protocol supported by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The…
Emerging Threats Chile marked a major milestone in late 2025 with the inauguration of its first National Space Center (CEN). The facility is designed to strengthen the country’s satellite and space support capabilities in the coming years and advance the development of its own systems in a field critical to national security and territorial management. This new step positions the country among…
Security & Cooperation Seven members of the Ecuadorian Armed Forces visited Kentucky recently to learn more about how the Kentucky National Guard responds to emergencies and to share their own disaster response techniques. The Ecuadorian service members attended capabilities briefings with the Guard’s 41st Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team (WMD-CST), at the Kentucky Air National Guard Base in Louisville before observing…
Strategic Influence A network of ground stations and satellite tracking centers linked to China is expanding in Latin America. Although many of these projects are presented under the banner of scientific or commercial cooperation, their development coincides with the advancement of China’s space capabilities, raising concerns about their potential dual-use nature and implications for regional security. In its report, Pulling Latin America…
