Counterterrorism in Latin America
Given Latin America’s history of local and international terrorism and the renewed fighting in the Middle East, there is a clear need for greater hemispheric cooperation to combat terrorism in the region. Without greater US support, it is not clear that Latin America’s law enforcement and intelligence efforts have the capacity to detect, detain, dismantle, and deter terrorist networks like Hezbollah. Yet the U.S. national security focus remains tilted toward great power competition with China and Russia and away from combatting international terrorism, including in this hemisphere.
Without greater US support, it is not clear that Latin America’s law enforcement and intelligence efforts have the capacity to detect, detain, dismantle, and deter terrorist networks like Hezbollah.”
Fortunately, there are counterterrorism cooperation mechanisms to build upon. In the wake of the September 11 attacks, the United States, Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay established the 3+1 Group on Tri-Border Area Security. Today, the countries still operate the Tripartite Command, which integrates police intelligence agents from Ciudad del Este, Foz de Yguazú in Brazil, and Puerto Yguazú in Argentina. Thanks in part to this cooperation, in recent years regional law enforcement agencies have carried out major arrests and extraditions of Hezbollah facilitators for drug trafficking and money laundering.
When news broke of Operation Trapiche in Brazil, the Global Counterterrorism Forum was meeting in Santiago, Chile. Among other topics, the discussions addressed the need for greater interagency and international cooperation to identify, maintain, and update counterterrorism watchlists for the Western Hemisphere. The month before, the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism had hosted a workshop with the Latin American Jewish Congress and the Universidad de las Américas Puebla to raise awareness of the threat of violent extremism and terrorism.
The 3+1 Group and the efforts by the Global Counterterrorism Forum and the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism are necessary, but not sufficient to meet the threat. Without greater intelligence and law enforcement resources dedicated to countering Hezbollah, and without greater regional cooperation and US attention, Latin America will remain a soft target for the type of international terrorism the region has suffered in the past.
Source link : https://www.wilsoncenter.org/blog-post/rising-concerns-about-hezbollah-latin-america-amid-middle-east-conflict
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Publish date : 2023-12-01 03:00:00
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