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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 National Defense University. Realuyo spoke with The Cipher Brief about the nexus between crime and terror, noting that these networks – and the organized criminal groups that run them – are now tied to Hezbollah and other global terrorist groups. 

The Cipher Brief: How would you assess the threat of illicit trafficking networks in Latin America to U.S. national security?  What makes the U.S. an attractive operating environment for these criminal groups?

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