So far this year, Panama has seized a minimum of 3.1 tons of drugs in at least seven operations, the National Air and Naval Service (SENAN, in Spanish), Panama’s main anti-drug institution, reported on January 26. “During the 2021 period to date, the National Air and Naval Service, through the [ … ]
Transnational Threats
South American States Join Forces Against Chinese Fishing Threat
Four South American countries joined forces November 4 in a bid to combat illegal fishing by huge Chinese fleets off their coasts. Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru threatened measures “to prevent, discourage and jointly confront” illegal fishing near their exclusive economic zones in the Pacific. The joint statement made no [ … ]
US Sanctions Colombian Narcotrafficker with Links to Clan del Golfo
On December 1, the United States announced sanctions on Jhon Fredy Zapata Garzón, an “important narcotrafficker” from Colombia, along with three other Colombia-based associates, for allegedly sending tons of drugs to the United States for the Clan del Golfo, the largest criminal organization in Colombia. The U.S. Department of the [ … ]
Illegal Fishing Degrades the Environment
Around the world, illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing not only destroys local economies but also the environment. “IUU and unsustainable fishing affects us right here in the Western Hemisphere,” Jon Piechowski, deputy assistant secretary for the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs at the U.S. State Department said on October [ … ]
Nations Speak Out Against Maduro’s Fraudulent Elections
Countries around the world are calling the illegitimate Maduro regime’s recent attempt to undermine democracy in Venezuela a sham. On December 6, the Nicolás Maduro regime unconstitutionally staged elections for the National Assembly with the intention of overthrowing the democratically elected politicians who stand against Maduro and his cronies. The [ … ]
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 [ … ]
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 [ … ]
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, [ … ]
China Continues to Plunder South American Pacific Ocean
In November, the Peruvian government passed a decree ordering all foreign-flagged vessels operating in Peruvian waters to use an additional satellite device starting January 1, 2021. This will enable authorities to know the routes and movements of each vessel with greater precision. On October 18, Ecuadorean Foreign Minister Luis Gallego [ … ]