Get the latest security and defense stories from across the Americas.
Across the vital maritime transit zones of the Western Hemisphere, a new era of defense is being written. As transnational criminal organizations continue to adapt their methods and exploit maritime routes, regional partners and the United States have transitioned to a posture of active, relentless disruption. The strategic objective is clear: Apply unyielding systemic friction to the transnational threat networks…
In the Amazon, where criminal organizations have spent decades building networks dedicated to drug trafficking, illegal gold mining, and smuggling, a new economic frontier is emerging. As global demand rises for critical minerals used in batteries, semiconductors, defense systems, artificial intelligence, and clean energy technologies, resources such as coltan, cassiterite, nickel, lithium, niobium, and rare earth elements are becoming increasingly…
The Peruvian Navy and U.S. naval forces are making final preparations for UNITAS LXVII, the world’s longest-running annual multinational maritime exercise, scheduled for September in Ancón, Salinas, and other locations throughout Peru. This year’s edition will expand its traditional scope to include maritime, amphibious, Amazon, cyber defense, and, for the first time, a lake phase on Lake Titicaca. The evolution…
Paraguay has made significant progress in its fight against transnational drug trafficking by strengthening security at its river ports and implementing a strategy centered on intelligence, interagency coordination, and international cooperation. Paraguayan authorities say the country is no longer one of the principal departure points for cocaine shipments to Europe, a shift they attribute to policies implemented under the administration…
For decades, South America's great rivers were viewed primarily as commercial arteries and instruments of regional integration. Today, however, many of these waterways have become strategic corridors for drug trafficking and transnational organized crime. From the Amazon Basin to the Paraguay-Paraná Waterway, criminal organizations exploit the vast terrain, limited surveillance, and transnational nature of river systems to move drugs, weapons,…
In recent years, transnational criminal organizations have turned Ecuador into one of the region’s principal transit hubs for drug shipments bound for the United States and Europe. Today, however, the country faces an even more complex regional security challenge: the expansion of synthetic drugs. Primarily a transit point for cocaine, Ecuador is increasingly emerging as a hub for the importation…
Paraguay and the United States strengthened their riverine security cooperation in April 2026 with the addition of eight new interceptor boats to the Paraguayan Navy, as part of a broader program designed to enhance surveillance, interdiction, and control along the Paraguay-Paraná Waterway. At the same time, Paraguay inaugurated a Command and Control Center to improve operational coordination along one of…
Located at the heart of South America and home to some of the continent’s most important trade and river corridors, Paraguay faces security challenges stemming from its strategic location and the growing sophistication of transnational organized crime. In response, the country has pursued institutional reforms, modernized its security capabilities, and strengthened cooperation with regional and international partners. In an exclusive…
After years without institutional cooperation, Caracas and Washington have begun building a new security relationship. What started as a diplomatic rapprochement has expanded into increasingly visible coordination among judicial authorities, intelligence agencies, and security forces to confront some of the most significant threats facing Venezuela and the region. Within just a few months, that cooperation has already produced tangible results.…
As transnational criminal organizations expand across borders and exploit differences between jurisdictions, countries throughout the hemisphere are increasingly relying on cooperation, interoperability, and trusted partnerships to strengthen their response capabilities. In this environment, Fuerzas Comando has evolved beyond a special operations competition into a platform for building the professional relationships, coordination mechanisms, and operational understanding needed to confront shared security…
China has steadily expanded its presence in Latin America’s critical minerals sector, investing in lithium, copper, and other resources that underpin advanced technologies, defense systems, semiconductors, and the global energy transition. Accompanied by investments in ports, transportation corridors, and processing facilities, Beijing’s growing footprint in the region has fueled concerns over economic security, strategic dependence, and countries’ ability to retain…
The Ecuadorian Army has advanced with the first operational unit of the Jaguar-1, a new armored personnel carrier that represents a significant step forward both in the fight against organized crime and in the development of Ecuador’s domestic defense industry. Designed and built in Ecuador, the vehicle was conceived to protect military personnel in increasingly dangerous environments characterized by ambushes,…
