For the first time, 13 members of the Ecuadorian Navy are taking part in the Certified Tactical Planning in Naval Operations course at the Colombian Navy’s Almirante Padilla Naval Cadet School. Through May, the students, along with 12 Colombian counterparts, will receive training in planning and orientation in military operations, [ … ]
Recent News
Brazilian Service Members Join UN Missions
Brazil increased female participation in United Nations (U.N.) peacekeeping missions to comply with U.N. Security Council Resolution 1325, which established the Women, Peace, and Security program, in 2000. Currently, six officers from the Armed Forces take part in one of the U.N.’s 13 missions. Brazilian service members joined U.N. missions [ … ]
Brazilian Navy and Federal Police Intercept Vessel Carrying Cocaine
On February 14, 2021, the Brazilian Navy (MB, in Portuguese) and the Federal Police intercepted a catamaran sailboat that was approaching international waters. The vessel was crossing the northeastern coast of Brazil at night, carrying 2.2 tons of drugs, distributed in more than 70 waterproof bags. The sailboat, bound for [ … ]
Paraguay: Anti-drug Agents Destroy Nearly 1,500 Tons of Marijuana
The Paraguayan National Anti-Drug Secretariat (SENAD, in Spanish) concluded Operation New Alliance XXIV (Operación Nueva Alianza XXIV) with the destruction of 490 hectares of illegal cannabis crops in Amambay department, on March 8, 2021. “The 490 hectares are equivalent to 1,470 tons of marijuana destroyed,” SENAD reported in a statement. [ … ]
Countries of the Region Support St. Vincent Following Volcano Emergency
One week after the La Soufrière volcano erupted on the island of St. Vincent, member nations of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and other countries of the region continue to offer their support to the Vincentian government by opening their borders to receive evacuees and providing emergency supplies and equipment. The [ … ]
Argentine Gendarmerie Seizes More than 6 Tons of Marijuana
In early March, the Argentine National Gendarmerie (GNA, in Spanish) seized more than 6 tons of marijuana in only two operations in Misiones province. In both cases, agents were patrolling the area when they saw suspicious vehicles. On March 10, authorities carried out one of the operations near the mouth [ … ]
Brazilian Army Destroys 41 Clandestine Ports Criminals Used on Itaipu Lake
Between February 15 and March 5, Brazilian military and police forces destroyed 41 clandestine ports used by criminal organizations on Itaipu Lake, in the state of Paraná. The actions took place during Operation Importunus 2, and were carried out by soldiers of the Brazilian Army’s (EB, in Portuguese) 15th Motorized [ … ]
Plan, Prepare, Perform — United States Supports St. Vincent Volcano Response
The U.S. government has mobilized a multi-tier, interagency approach to bring much needed relief to the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) recently announced an increase of $100,000 in disaster relief for people affected by violent eruptions of the La Soufrière volcano. [ … ]
Bolivia: Agents Destroy Mega Lab that Produced 100 Kg of Cocaine a Day
On March 13, 2021, agents of Bolivia’s Special Force to Fight Drug Trafficking (FELCN, in Spanish) destroyed a cocaine mega lab in the Cabo Juan Wildlife Reserve, Tarija department, on the border with Paraguay. “It is believed that the lab had the capacity to crystalize 100 kilograms of cocaine per [ … ]
Colombia Stops Shipment of 4.5 Tons of Drugs
Joint military operations in Colombia prevented the shipment of 4.5 tons of drugs to international markets. On March 3, 2021, the Colombian Army told the press that its troops had seized 3,538 kilograms of creepy-type marijuana, which were transported in 75 bags on two vessels on the Yarí River, in [ … ]
Brazil Installs Intelligent Border Control Systems
The Brazil-Venezuela border will receive a real-time surveillance system to strengthen the fight against crimes such as smuggling, fraud, and arms and drug trafficking. Equipment such as smart lights, facial recognition software, motion-sensor cameras, and drones with thermal imaging cameras will be installed in the Brazilian city of Pacaraima, Roraima [ … ]
Paraguay: Anti-drug Agents Arrest Four PCC Members
On February 11, 2021, agents of the Paraguayan National Anti-Drug Secretariat (SENAD, in Spanish) arrested four Brazilian nationals — three men and one woman — believed to belong to the Brazilian criminal organization First Capital Command (PCC, in Portuguese). The arrests were carried out in the city of Pedro Juan [ … ]