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Latin America

Venezuela’s Descent into Crisis

Understanding the U.S. Military Mobilization in the Caribbean

Ambassador Patrick Duddy

Understanding the U.S. Military Mobilization in the Caribbean

OPINION / EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — The armada the U.S. has assembled in the Caribbean is more formidable than anything the region has seen in decades. [...] More

AmericasLatin America

The Latest

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
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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?
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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

Expert Q&A: A Look at Biden's Last-Minute Cuba Deal

Ryan C. Berg

Expert Q&A: A Look at Biden's Last-Minute Cuba Deal

EXPERT INTERVIEW — In one of several eleventh-hour moves, President Joe Biden on Tuesday notified Congress of his intent to remove Cuba from a list [...] More

Alternative PerspectivesRyan C. BergNorth AmericaLatin America

A Dangerous Moment for Venezuela – and the Region 

Ambassador Patrick Duddy

A Dangerous Moment for Venezuela – and the Region 

EXPERT INTERVIEW — Nicolas Maduro is set to be inaugurated for his third term as president of Venezuela on Friday. He will be sworn in after a [...] More

Latin America
Memo to the 47th President: Latin America is About More Than Migrants
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memo to 47

Memo to the 47th President: Latin America is About More Than Migrants

MEMO TO THE PRESIDENT — Since Donald Trump's victory in the November 5 election, The Cipher Brief has covered the potential implications a second [...] More

Latin AmericaAmericasReporting