Making a Killing: The Nexus of Terrorism and Wildlife Trafficking
The role of wildlife trafficking in funding militancy and terrorism has received intense attention from conservationists globally as well as from members of the U.S. […] More
Illicit Trafficking
The Northern Triangle: The Most Violent Region in the World
After 10,500 unaccompanied minors crossed the U.S.-Mexico border, seeking asylum in October and November, many asked, what kind of parents would send their children on […] More
A Threat to Regional Stability
The problems plaguing the Northern Triangle—Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador—are plenty, but for retired DEA Agent Michael Vigil one stands out among the rest. “Drug […] More
A Human Tragedy
The so-called Northern Triangle in Central America—namely, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras—has been depicted as one of the must dangerous and violent regions in the […] More
The Latest
Reducing Cartel Violence
For almost a decade, the Mexican government has deployed the latest version of a much longer effort to address the growing threat of Drug Trafficking […] More
Solving Mexico’s Violence Problem
In the last scene of the movie Sicario, children in Ciudad Juarez play soccer as their parents cheer from the sidelines. Gunshots are heard in […] More
Strengthening Rule of Law
Does the deteriorating security situation in Mexico affect us here in the U.S.? Is it really a U.S. national security issue? If Mexico continues on […] More
El Chapo’s Arrest Won’t Impact War on Drugs
There was a sigh of relief when the Mexican government successfully re-captured drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman last week. El Chapo, leader of the […] More
The Caliphate of Crime
Labeled as the richest terrorist group in the world, the Islamic State (ISIS) continues to amass substantial funds to bankroll its military, economic, recruitment, and […] More
Trafficking in Antiquities
Retired Brigadier General Russell Howard discussed ISIS’s involvement in antiquities trafficking with The Cipher Brief, explaining that ISIS taxes artifacts that are smuggled in territory […] More
ISIS’ Illicit Networks
The Islamic State (ISIS) and the threat from terrorism has dominated the news for the past 18 months. ISIS emerged from the chaos in Iraq […] More
Illicit Trafficking in Latin America
Major and growing illicit trafficking networks link Latin America to Europe, Asia, and North America. Through these networks, illicit drugs and trafficked human beings flow […] More
The Terror-Crime Nexus
The reach of Latin American illicit trafficking networks extends well beyond the region, according to former U.S. diplomat Celina Realuyo, now a professor at the […] More
Mapping Criminal Networks
Two assumptions about transnational crime disrupt the design of effective security policies worldwide: Assuming that corruption is mainly an economic issue in which private agents […] More
The Threat to the U.S.
With over 30 years working as a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent, Michael Vigil has an extensive understanding of illicit trafficking networks. The former DEA […] More
Combatting Terrorist Financing
As the military campaign to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIS continues to dominate U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, there is also an effort […] More
The Core of the Problem
The Somalia based terror group al-Shabaab has “diversified its economy” to ensure a constant income, from kidnapping for ransom and confiscating food and aid sent […] More
Counter Threat Finance — Not a Silver Bullet
For decades, belligerent groups have financed their operations by tapping into a variety of locally available economies, including illegal ones. The Shining Path in Peru […] More