A 54-year-old Coast Guard cutter seized approximately 1,090 pounds of suspected cocaine in mid-May with an estimated value of $18.7 million from a go-fast vessel in international waters of the Pacific Ocean off Central America. [caption id="attachment_36961" align="alignright" width="280"] A panga is shown in the eastern Pacific Ocean off Central [ … ]
Transnational Threats
USS Pinckney Interdicts Second Drug Vessel
The Arleigh Burke-Class Destroyer USS Pinckney (DDG 91) with embarked U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) team seized over 2,700 kilograms of suspected cocaine May 16. After a U.S. Navy maritime patrol aircraft (MPA), assigned to the “Tridents” of Patrol Squadron VP 26, first spotted the low profile [ … ]
Coast Guard Seizes 1,406 Kilos of Cocaine from Smuggling Vessel off Central American Coast
The Coast Guard seized more than 1,406 kilograms of cocaine in mid-May with an estimated value of $53.5 million from a low-profile go-fast vessel in international waters of the Pacific Ocean off Central America. A maritime patrol aircraft spotted a suspected smuggling vessel and diverted the crew aboard the Coast [ … ]
Organized Crime Adapts to Coronavirus in Argentina
Measures imposed by the Argentine government to stop the spread of the coronavirus, such as border closures and mandatory confinement, have affected organized crime networks operating in the region. However, there is evidence that transnational criminal groups are adapting. From late April to the first week of May, the Argentine [ … ]
SOUTHCOM to Deploy US Army Advisory Team to Support Enhanced Counternarcotics Cooperation with Colombia
The U.S. Army’s 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade (SFAB) will deploy an advisory team to Colombia June 1 to support U.S. enhanced counternarcotics cooperation with Colombian security forces. The brigade’s company-sized advisory team will provide military support to U.S.-Colombia diplomatic and development efforts by training, advising, and assisting host units [ … ]
US Views Iran’s Interests in Latin America with Concern
On May 19, U.S. Navy Admiral Craig S. Faller, commander of U.S. Southern Command, said that he views “with concern” Iran’s activities in Venezuela, with the shipment of crude in tankers and the country’s interest in controlling the Latin American region. “I view Iran’s interests with concern […]; we're tracking [ … ]
USS Pinckney Takes Down Drug Vessel, Seizes 70 Bales of Cocaine
The Arleigh Burke-Class Destroyer USS Pinckney (DDG 91) with embarked U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) team seized 1,400 kilograms of cocaine, May 14. A U.S. Navy maritime patrol aircraft (MPA), assigned to the “Tridents” of Patrol Squadron (VP) 26, first spotted the low profile vessel (LPV). Pinckney, [ … ]
Abrams: ‘A Transition Is Coming in Venezuela’
The U.S. government is preparing to reopen its embassy in Caracas, as they believe a transition is coming to Venezuela, U.S. Special Representative for Venezuela Elliott Abrams said on April 30. “We think a transition is coming in Venezuela, and we need to be prepared for it,” Abrams said in [ … ]
USS Lassen, Embarked Coast Guard Team Recover Illegal Drugs in Caribbean
The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Lassen (DDG 82) with embarked U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) team recovered more than 3,500 pounds of marijuana, May 2. While on routine patrol, approximately 15 miles northeast of Navassa Island, an uninhabited island in the Caribbean Sea between Haiti and [ … ]
Argentina: COVID-19 Tests Bought from China Present Problems
Argentina purchased 170,000 Chinese rapid test kits to monitor the spread of the novel coronavirus. A report by the COVID-19 Unit of the Argentine Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation concluded that the Chinese kits presented false readings, and only detect one of the two antibodies they were designed to [ … ]
On the Rise, with its Own Characteristics: Digital Censorship in Venezuela
Venezuelans’ freedom of expression and information has been exponentially restricted in the digital environment, and the situation continues to escalate amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This is not new. Several international organizations, such as the Organization of American States’ Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression and the Office [ … ]
Ship with Cocaine Loaded in Venezuela, Seized off the Coast of Spain
Spanish authorities announced on April 29 the seizure of 4 000 kilograms (4 metric tons) of cocaine aboard a ship off the coast of Vigo. Law enforcement officials say the ship originated in Venezuela, where the drugs were initially loaded. This seizure was the latest blow to Galician drug traffickers [ … ]