The Chilean Army’s Special Operations Command (Cope), together with military personnel from U.S. Special Operations Command South (SOCSOUTH), carried out a communications exercise (COMEX), to develop capabilities and integrate communications means, Cope said on social media. “This COMEX is the first communications exercise between the Special Operations Brigade [BOE] Lautaro [ … ]
Transnational Threats
Chile and DEA Strengthen Cooperation
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) met with the Chilean Investigative Police (PDI) to exchange experiences, strengthen police capability, and address emerging criminal scenarios related to narcotrafficking, the PDI and the U.S. Embassy in Chile said via Twitter. “This meeting was born out of the PDI’s latest investigative experiences, which [ … ]
Nicaragua Spies on Its Citizens with Russia’s Help
According to the report, Dangerous Alliances: Russia’s Strategic Inroads in Latin America, published in late December by the Institute for National Strategic Studies (INSS) of the U.S. National Defense University, the Daniel Ortega-Rosario Murillo regime has been using the Russian software System for Operative Investigative Activities (SORM) to spy in [ … ]
China Speeds Up Nuclear Expansion
China is developing nuclear weapons at a “terrifying speed.” It could have some 1,500 nuclear warheads by 2035 if it continues to expand its arsenal at the current rate, The EurAsian Times reported on February 25, based on a late 2022 U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM) report. According to STRATCOM, China’s [ … ]
Venezuela and North Korea Deepen Cooperation
The Venezuelan and North Korean regimes have agreed to strengthen their political, bilateral, and multilateral ties “for the benefit of both countries,” the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry told the press. During the February 23 meeting held in Caracas, Venezuela’s Vice Minister for Asia, the Middle East, and Oceania Tatiana Pugh, and [ … ]
Panama Strengthens Interagency Cooperation to Combat Crime
Panama’s Minister of Public Security (MINSEG) Juan Manuel Pino Forero has been focusing on very concrete actions to provide border security by land, sea, and air; combat narcotrafficking; eradicate illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing; and eliminate transnational criminal organizations. Minister Pino spoke with Diálogo about his national and regional [ … ]
Iranian Warships’ Presence in Latin America Stirs Concerns
The presence of Iranian ships in Latin America has raised concerns in all parts of the world. “Israel views the docking of Iranian warships in Brazil a few days ago as a dangerous and regrettable development,” Israel’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Lior Haiat said via Twitter on March 2. “Those ships [ … ]
US Coast Guard Crew Offloads $166 Million Worth of Narcotics in San Diego
The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Waesche (WMSL 751) crew offloaded more than 6,325 pounds of cocaine and more than 13,220 pounds of marijuana worth more than $166 million, March 28, in San Diego, California. The five interdictions occurred in international waters in the Eastern Pacific Ocean off the coasts of [ … ]
Paraguay’s President Mario Abdo Benítez Meets with US Military Commanders
Paraguayan President Mario Abdo Benítez visited U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) March 30, where he met with U.S. Army General Bryan Fenton, SOCOM commander, U.S. Army General Laura J. Richardson, commander of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), as well as other senior command and Department of Defense officials. The leaders discussed [ … ]
US and Chile Strengthen Ties of Friendship and Collaboration
General James C. McConville, chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, visited the Chilean Army to deepen ties of friendship and cooperation between both institutions, the Chilean Army indicated in a statement. On the occasion, both armies were able to evaluate their cooperation activities. “The United States through U.S. Southern [ … ]
Ecuador Turns Cocaine into Cement to Prevent Its Reuse
Ecuadorian authorities are employing a novel technique to destroy hundreds of tons of cocaine seized annually. It involves “encapsulation,” whereby the drug is mixed with cement to make concrete blocks to prevent its reuse and quickly destroy the illegal substance. The cocaine is first converted into powder and then mixed [ … ]
US Army Reserve Brings Medical Support to Hondurans
Joint Task Force-Bravo (JTF-Bravo), located on Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras, executes numerous medical missions every year across Central America and other countries as directed by U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM). Since 2012, the U.S. Army Reserve’s 807th Medical Command (807th MC) (Deployment Support) has manned the medical assets deployed to [ … ]