Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

cipherbrief

Welcome! Log in to stay connected and make the most of your experience.

Input clean

Latin America

Why an Unmanned Mission May be Most Effective in Venezuela

Joey Gagnard

Why an Unmanned Mission May be Most Effective in Venezuela

OPINION — Wars are increasingly fought by unconventional means. A recent example is Ukrainian insertion of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to attack [...] More

AmericasJoey GagnardLatin America

The Latest

Trump’s Latest Military Campaign Tests the Limits of Presidential War Powers

Geoffrey Corn

Trump’s Latest Military Campaign Tests the Limits of Presidential War Powers

OPINION / EXPERT PERSPECTiVE — According to reports, the Trump administration informed Congress that the ongoing hostilities against alleged [...] More

AmericasGeoffrey CornLatin America
Soldiers of the Mexican Army stand guard as they secure an area during a military operation in Culiacan, Sinaloa State, Mexico, on September 19, 2024

From the Caribbean to Jalisco, Trump Takes Aim at Cartels — But Will He Strike the Kingpins?

DEEP DIVE — Eight weeks ago, Secretary of State Marco Rubio went to Mexico City, the epicenter of the global illegal drug trade, and declared, “The [...] More

AmericasLatin America
Former CIA Station Chief on the Trump Administration’s Caribbean Strategy

Former CIA Station Chief on the Trump Administration’s Caribbean Strategy

EXPERT INTERVIEW — Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced today that the U.S. has carried out three additional strikes on four sea vessels, bringing [...] More

AmericasLatin America

America’s Drug Crisis: Why the U.S. Must Fight Traffickers Abroad—and Addiction at Home

Ambassador Joseph DeTrani

America’s Drug Crisis: Why the U.S. Must Fight Traffickers Abroad—and Addiction at Home

OPINION — It is the responsibility of the U.S. Government to ensure that illicit drugs do not enter the U.S. and to ensure that those countries and [...] More

AmericasAmbassador Joseph DeTraniLatin America

‘Show Us the Video’: Lawmakers Seek Transparency in Anti-Drug Boat Strikes

Walter Pincus

‘Show Us the Video’: Lawmakers Seek Transparency in Anti-Drug Boat Strikes

OPINION / FINE PRINT — “We have asked the Mexican government to also step up their involvement in stopping these cartels and stopping the huge amount [...] More

AmericasLatin AmericaWalter PincusFine Print

The U.S. Coast Guard’s Quiet Drug War Wins Amid Trump’s Caribbean Strikes

Walter Pincus

The U.S. Coast Guard’s Quiet Drug War Wins Amid Trump’s Caribbean Strikes

OPINION / FINE PRINT — “The U.S. Coast Guard announced [last] Tuesday it has seized more than 100,000 pounds of cocaine in the eastern Pacific Ocean [...] More

AmericasLatin AmericaWalter PincusFine Print
The Caribbean Emerges as a Test of U.S. Power

The Caribbean Emerges as a Test of U.S. Power

DEEP DIVE — U.S. military forces this week carried out yet another strike on a vessel in Caribbean waters off Venezuela, marking the sixth such [...] More

AmericasLatin America

As Trump Expands Caribbean Strikes on Cartels, Much is Still Unclear

Walter Pincus

As Trump Expands Caribbean Strikes on Cartels, Much is Still Unclear

OPINION — “Extraordinarily violent drug trafficking cartels that the United States has designated as terrorist organizations have wrought devastating [...] More

AmericasLatin AmericaWalter PincusFine Print

Expert Q&A: The U.S. Takes On the Mexican Cartels

Ray Donovan

Expert Q&A: The U.S. Takes On the Mexican Cartels

EXPERT INTERVIEW — The Trump administration is prioritizing going after Mexican drug cartels as a key national security objective. It has designated [...] More

Alternative PerspectivesNorth AmericaLatin AmericaRay Donovan

In Hegseth Panama Visit, Reading the 'Untranslated' Comments

Walter Pincus

In Hegseth Panama Visit, Reading the 'Untranslated' Comments

OPINION — “Together with Panama in the lead, we will keep the canal secure and available for all nations through the deterrent power of the [...] More

Fine PrintLatin AmericaWalter Pincus
Trump Administration Says Narco-Trafficking is #1 Threat - and Tries All-Hands Approach to Stop It
Badge
deep dive

Trump Administration Says Narco-Trafficking is #1 Threat - and Tries All-Hands Approach to Stop It

DEEP DIVE — When the U.S. intelligence community (IC) declared last week that the greatest danger to American national security is old-fashioned [...] More

Latin AmericaAmericasNorth AmericaReporting
What's Really Happening at the Panama Canal?
Badge
expert interviews

What's Really Happening at the Panama Canal?

EXPERT INTERVIEWS — The Panama Canal has landed squarely in the national security conversation, thanks to a series of remarks by Donald Trump, who as [...] More

Latin AmericaAmericas