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The transformation of Brazilian organized crime — from a phenomenon primarily associated with illegal activities into a network capable of exercising territorial and coercive control — is redefining the nature of the challenge criminal factions pose to the state. Criminal power is no longer measured solely by the amount of drugs trafficked or firepower, but also by the ability to…
Colombia is intensifying its offensive against criminal organizations with a strategy aimed not only at their armed members and drug trafficking operations, but also at the finances and illicit economies that allow them to maintain territorial control. “We are going to strike their structures, their leaders, their finances, and the illicit economies that fuel their criminal machinery,” President Abelardo De…
Peru and Ecuador are coordinating their security forces against illegal mining and logging along their shared border with a clear objective: preventing criminal networks from shifting their operations across the border when pressure increases in either country. In May 2026, the countries’ defense ministers met in Arenillas, Ecuador, and agreed to strengthen cooperation against transnational organized crime, illegal mining, and…
Sixty members of the Paraguayan Armed Forces attended a noncommissioned officer professional development (NCOPD) event in partnership with the Massachusetts National Guard in Asunción, Paraguay, September 15-18. The bilateral engagement capped more than three years of coordination and collaboration among senior enlisted leaders from Massachusetts and Paraguay. Organizers designed the multi-day event to build the essential leadership skills NCOs need…
Transnational criminal organizations increasingly operate across borders, combining drug trafficking and other illicit economies with financial, logistical, and corruption networks that allow them to expand their reach. Faced with a threat that exceeds the response capabilities of any single country, regional cooperation has become a central component of security efforts across the hemisphere. That approach gained new momentum in March…
Ecuadorian security forces captured Francisco Manuel Bermúdez Cagua, alias Churrón, one of the top leaders of Los Choneros, in Guayaquil on July 2. Bermúdez Cagua was wanted by U.S. authorities on drug trafficking and weapons charges. The U.S. government had offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his arrest or conviction. The arrest further reduced…
The awarding of a new phase of the Batidero camp to a consortium comprising two Chinese companies and one Argentine firm has sparked debate over the role of domestic industry in one of the region’s largest copper developments, local outlet iProfesional reported. The camp, in Argentina’s San Juan province, will house workers for the Vicuña mining project. The contract calls…
The Caribbean Sea’s growing role in cocaine trafficking routes oused by transnational criminal organizations highlights the need to move beyond isolated national responses toward a multinational strategy that integrates military, air and maritime, intelligence, and law enforcement capabilities. The challenge is compounded by persistently high levels of coca cultivation in Colombia. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and…
Amid growing international scrutiny of China’s distant-water fishing fleet over allegations of illegal fishing, forced labor, and concerns about its implications for maritime security, Chilean authorities have stepped up inspections of foreign fishing vessels arriving at the country’s ports following a sharp increase in requests from Chinese-flagged ships to call there. One such operation took place in June 2026 and…
The capture in Colombia of Ronald Javier Macías Villamar, alias Javi, an alleged leader of the Los Choneros terrorist organization, demonstrated the operational reach of Ecuador’s cooperation with its regional partners against transnational organized crime. The intelligence sharing that led authorities to locate him in Bogotá is part of a series of bilateral and regional mechanisms through which Ecuador seeks…
Ecuador and the United States continue to expand the tools available to confront transnational criminal organizations and the networks that sustain their operations within and beyond the country. As authorities intensify actions against these organizations, new terrorist designations are strengthening the legal and financial tools available to target their resources and support networks. Among them are the U.S. designations of…
Transnational organized crime networks increasingly operate through logistics, financial, and commercial chains that span multiple countries and jurisdictions. In response, Brazil and the United States, which have a long-standing partnership in the fight against transnational crime, have deepened intelligence sharing, risk analysis, and operational coordination to anticipate threats and strengthen their ability to respond across borders. As part of these…
