Summary Saudi Arabia and Iran have fueled the conflicts of their neighbors with the aim of achieving regional hegemony, thus positioning governments in their favor. States such as Yemen, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq have been affected by these typical cold war dynamics, in which the conflict is escalating every day [ … ]
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China and El Salvador: An Update
El Salvador’s recognition of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in August 2018 was the third such change in Latin America following the end of the informal truce that had restrained the PRC’s diplomatic competition with Taiwan between 2008 and 2016. This pivot also precipitated expressions of concern from Washington, [ … ]
Pakistani National Indicted and Sanctioned for Human Smuggling Conspiracy
[caption id="attachment_46694" align="alignright" width="168"] Abid Ali Khan was indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly organizing and leading an international human smuggling organization. (Photo: U.S. Department of Justice)[/caption] On April 7, a federal grand jury in Virginia indicted a Pakistani citizen for allegedly leading a scheme to smuggle undocumented [ … ]
The Work of a Female Soldier Following the Hurricanes in Guatemala
The first contact Lesvia Leticia Gallardo Morales had with the Guatemalan Armed Forces was when she first saw soldiers patrolling near her house. The then 5-year-old turned to her mother and said, “When I grow up, I want to be a soldier.” Throughout the years, she kept reminding her mother, [ … ]
Eight Individuals Indicted for Transnational Drug Trafficking, Money Laundering, and Financial Crimes
A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Texas (EDTX) has returned an indictment charging eight individuals with various federal violations related to a complex international drug trafficking conspiracy, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei on February 26. Debbie Mercer, 58, and Kayleigh Moffett, 33, both of Oklahoma [ … ]
Brazilian Federal Highway Police Seizes Large Quantity of Marijuana
The Paraná Federal Police (PRF, in Portuguese) has intensified operations to combat narcotrafficking, resulting in the seizure of about 146 tons of marijuana — a historic record for the state institution — in 2020. This work continues to deliver significant results into early 2021. On January 6, PRF agents and [ … ]
Brazil: Federal Police Dismantles International Narcotrafficking Groups
On January 20, 2021, the Brazilian Federal Police (PF, in Portuguese) arrested five members of a criminal group who were recruiting people to transport cocaine to Lebanon. Three other members of the group remain at large. The arrests occurred as part of Operation Overweight to combat international narcotrafficking. According to [ … ]
Brazil: Federal Police Dismantles International Narcotrafficking Organizations
The Brazilian Federal Police (PF, in Portuguese) launched Operation White Sand (Operação Areia Branca), on December 2, 2020, to dismantle an international narcotrafficking and money laundering organization. Some 80 PF officers executed five arrest warrants and 19 search and seizure warrants in many cities in the states of Mato Grosso [ … ]
Brazilian Federal Police Seizes Record Cocaine Amount in Rio de Janeiro
The Brazilian Federal Police (PF, in Portuguese) seized nearly 2.5 tons of cocaine hydrochloride, on December 1, 2020, in Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro. According to the PF, this seizure was the largest ever conducted in the state and one of the largest in Brazil. The PF received information [ … ]
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 [ … ]
How China and Russia Will Continue to Exploit Weak Democratic Institutions Across the Hemisphere
From the economic downturn forecasted by economists to the ongoing migration crisis of Venezuelan refugees and the wave of protests as citizens react to electoral fraud, grand corruption, and crippling austerity measures, the trends currently underway across our hemisphere indicate a period of challenges for democracies ahead. Recent polls from [ … ]
Peruvian Armed Forces Report Operations Against Organized Crime
In operations carried out September 8-21, the Peruvian Armed Forces dealt several blows to narcotrafficking and illegal mining. On September 21, thanks to intelligence gathered by an elite group of the Peruvian National Police, service members found 433 kilograms of cocaine buried in Huanta province, Ayacucho department, as reported by [ … ]