The Brazilian Navy (MB, in Portuguese) launched submarine Humaitá (S-41) at sea, at the Madeira Island Naval Complex, in Itaguaí, Rio de Janeiro, on December 11, 2020. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, Minister of Defense Fernando Azevedo e Silva, and MB Admiral Ilques Barbosa Júnior, MB commander, attended the event. [caption [ … ]
Recent News
Narcotrafficking Endangers Colombian and Ecuadorean Siona Community
The Siona community, located on the banks of the Putumayo River in Colombia and in the Sucumbíos province in northeastern Ecuador, risks extinction due to the presence of armed groups, paramilitaries, and narcotrafficking, according to the December 3, 2020 report Narcotrafficking Violence Destroys Forests and Corners the Siona People on [ … ]
Panama Builds Regional Center to Fight Transnational Crime
In the first half of 2021, Panama will launch a new strategy to fight narcotrafficking and other illegal activities in the region. To that end, the Panamanian security forces will join their efforts under a single operational center that will combat crime as a united front. The National Police, the [ … ]
Interpol Operation in 32 Countries Arrests More than 200 Criminals Involved in Human Trafficking and Illegal Immigration
Police officers from 32 countries arrested more than 200 people during a multinational operation to combat human trafficking and migrant smuggling. During the operation, some 3,500 illegal migrants were identified in the Americas, Africa, Europe, and Asia. These are results of Operation Turquesa II, an Interpol initiative that invited the [ … ]
Brazilian Navy Conducts Operation Caribex 2020
During November and December, the Brazilian Navy (MB, in Portuguese) conducted Operation Caribex 2020 to increase the level of operational readiness between the navies and strengthen the bonds of friendship with Caribbean countries. MB’s patrol ships Macau and Bocaina were part of the Caribex 2020 Task Force, responsible for carrying [ … ]
Chinese Fleet Threatens Chilean, Argentine Maritime Resources
After plundering the marine fauna near the Galapagos Islands, in Ecuador, a gigantic fleet of Chinese fishing vessels is heading toward southern waters, threatening the ecosystems of Chile and Argentina. The nearly 300 industrial vessels that fish for squid (known as jiggers), are 60 to 80 meters long and have [ … ]
One of Brazil’s Main Animal Traffickers Arrested in Federal Police Operation
On December 4, 2020, the Brazilian Federal Police (PF, in Portuguese) arrested one of Brazil’s main wildlife traffickers, rescuing some 200 animals bound for the black market. These results were achieved under the second phase of Operation Urutau, which was carried out in five Brazilian states, with investigations launched in [ … ]
Colombia Stops Organization that Smuggled Cocaine in Breast Implants
The Colombian Army, in coordination with the Office of the Attorney General, dismantled the narcotrafficking ring Los Cirujanos (The Surgeons), which recruited young women to smuggle cocaine into Europe inside their breasts. Authorities arrested nine criminals in different operations in the cities of Cali and Medellín. The criminal organization “convinced [ … ]
Brazilian and Argentine Armies Conduct Joint Operation
The Brazilian and Argentine armies carried out Operation Arandu at Barão de São Borja Training Camp, in Rosário do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, November 14-20, 2020. The joint exercise, coordinated by the Brazilian Southern Military Command (CMS, in Portuguese), ends a cycle that started in 2017, with three prior [ … ]
China Extends Its Predatory Loans Tactic to the Caribbean
China offers predatory loans that lead countries to become over-indebted, makes seemingly disinterested donations, and its companies make large infrastructure investments. This tactic is not new, and the Asian nation uses it to expand its influence in strategic areas around the world. The goal is always the same: to create [ … ]
Colombian Military Forces Capture Leaders of FARC Dissident Faction
In mid-November, the Colombian Military Forces’ Joint Task Force Omega (FUTCO, in Spanish) captured three leaders of the Jorge Briceño Suárez narcoterrorist group, a dissident faction of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC, in Spanish). With the support of the National Police and the Office of the Attorney General, [ … ]
Last Brazilian Frigate Returns Home Following a 9 Year Peacekeeping Mission in Lebanon
The Frigate Independência docked at the Rio de Janeiro Naval Base on December 26, 2020, completing one of the most important international participations in the history of the Brazilian Navy (MB, in Portuguese). The vessel, with some 200 service members, was part of the 20th and last contingent of the United [ … ]