Authorities from the U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Ecuador donated $3.1 million to representatives of the Ecuadorian Armed Forces during a visit to El Coca, in the province of Orellana. “This handing over shows the collaboration in terms of security between Ecuador and the United States,” U.S. Air Force Colonel [ … ]
Transnational Threats
NORTHCOM and SOUTHCOM Stand with Regional Partners to Combat Rising Chinese Influence
Much like footprints left on the white sand beaches of the Caribbean, the imprints made by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) can be found all over the region. But unlike the tracks of beachgoers, the Chinese presence is not so easily swept away. By using tools ranging from government [ … ]
Iran Seeks to Increase Footprint in Bolivia with Drones
In an attempt to expand its influence in Latin America, Iran is strengthening its push for power through strategic agreements, such as the recent security and defense cooperation treaty signed with Bolivia, which poses a risk to peace and stability in the region, security experts say. The treaty, signed on [ … ]
China Shies Away from Coalition Against Synthetic Drugs
The fight against the synthetic drugs that are wreaking havoc around the world is entering a new chapter. Some 90 countries are now part of the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats. China plays a leading role in the sale of precursors used in the commercial manufacture of these [ … ]
Ortega-Murillo Regime Uses Anti-money Laundering System for Political Repression
According to the study The Double Standard of Dictator Daniel Ortega’s Anti-Money Laundering Policy, carried out by Central American think tank Expediente Abierto, the Daniel Ortega-Rosario Murillo regime uses anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing (AML/CTF) standards to strengthen political repression of its opponents. Meanwhile, the regime makes it out to [ … ]
El Salvador Graduates 16 Counternarcotics K-9 Agents, with US support
The Salvadoran National Civil Police (PNC), with support from the U.S. Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), graduated 16 counternarcotics K-9 agents to join the fight against transnational criminal groups in the region. The police officers and their canine companions are trained to identify drugs and paper [ … ]
Maduro Increases Dependence on Iran to Preserve Oil Industry
Following the departure of former Venezuelan Oil Minister Tareck el Aissami in March, the Nicolás Maduro regime increased its dependence on Iran to keep the oil industry afloat. In June, president of state-owned Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) and Oil Minister Pedro Tellechea, signed a memorandum of understanding with his Iranian [ … ]
US, Uruguay, Peru and Argentina Join Efforts to Combat Cybercrime
More than 30 judges, prosecutors and police officers from Uruguay, Peru, and Argentina gathered in Montevideo August 14-18 to participate in a cybercrime conference organized by the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of International Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property (ICHIP) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The conference allowed [ … ]
New Era of Cuba-Russia Relations Threatens Latin America
With its anti-aircraft guns, the Russian Navy training ship Perekop docked in Cuba on July 11, raising concerns in the region. The ship arrived with more than 200 cadets on board at the port of Havana, where it stayed for three days. “This is the first official visit by a [ … ]
China’s ‘Long Game’ Influence Campaign in Latin America
U.S.-based cybersecurity firm Nisos uncovered the existence of a network of pro-China accounts targeting Latin American audiences, designed to bolster the country’s image and status, Time magazine reported in mid-July. This operation is part of the continued expansion of Chinese influence in the region, to consolidate its position as the [ … ]
Brazil: Joint Operation Strengthens Fight Against Crime on Southern Border
Brazil carried out a series of preventive and repressive actions against cross-border and environmental crimes along the border and in the maritime area of the states of Paraná, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul, July 1-15. The actions were part of Operation Joint Agatha South (Operação Ágata Conjunta Sul) [ … ]
Paraguay Reaches Record Drug Seizures
Paraguayan authorities made historic drug seizures between 2018 and 2023, with 30,000 tons of marijuana and nearly14 tons of cocaine in more than 5,000 operations, Paraguay’s National Anti-Drug Secretariat (SENAD) indicated in a statement. “International cooperation was key to carrying out these actions in the fight against organized crime,” Francisco [ … ]