The United States Coast Guard and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized $5.6 million in cocaine in two operations off the coast of Florida in February 2026. The seizures highlighted the close collaboration of U.S. Department of Homeland Security agencies in tackling drug smuggling in the southeastern approaches to the U.S. “The Coast Guard is in the business of saving lives, and every kilogram of these drugs kept off our streets represents lives saved,” said Lt. Justin Dadlani, commanding officer, Station Fort Lauderdale. “I couldn’t be more proud of the professionalism of the crew and our continued partnerships…
The Watch
Hezbollah, a United States-designated foreign terrorist organization (FTO), has a long history of operating in Latin America dating back to the 1980s, shortly after its formation in Lebanon. Active in 12 Latin American nations, including Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico, the terror group attacked synagogues twice in Argentina in the 1990s and attempted another attack in Brazil shortly after the October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist incursion into Israel. Since then, Hezbollah’s main proxy, Iran, has suffered military losses in three campaigns by Israel and the U.S. Additionally, the government of Lebanon, including its armed forces, has taken steps to disarm and…
In a powerful display of regional solidarity, five members of the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) Regiment deployed to Jamaica on February 15, 2026, as part of a multinational British Overseas Territories Contingent providing disaster relief after Hurricane Melissa struck as a Category 5 storm in October 2025. The TCI Marines joined forces with the Royal Bermuda and Cayman Islands regiments to repair homes and infrastructure before the start of the next hurricane season. Hurricane Melissa devastated Jamaica’s western parishes when it made landfall on October 28 with top winds of 297 kph, the strongest recorded hurricane to hit the island.…
Despite recent attempts by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to downplay its military and strategic ambitions in the Arctic, Nordic nations and other NATO members remain skeptical of such claims, expressing concerns about “a widely shared fear that China could weaponize Arctic shipping routes and mineral supply chains,” reported The Economist, a British news weekly, in February 2026. CCP statements at a recent China-Nordic Arctic Research Centre conference in early February sought to soften the party’s earlier aggressive stance of being a “near-Arctic” state despite 1,500 kilometers separating the nearest Chinese territory from the Arctic. Zhao Long of the Shanghai…
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) are expanding their focus on exercises across the Arctic and the North in 2026 to detect, deter and, if required, defend against threats. “Canadian sovereignty is inseparable from a strong and credible Arctic defence,” Minister of National Defence David J. McGuinty said in a CAF news release. “As strategic competition accelerates and adversaries expand their military reach across the circumpolar region, Canada is acting with purpose and resolve.” Demonstrating its capability and capacity to protect Canadian sovereignty across the land, maritime, air, cyber and space domains, the CAF kicked off its 2026 exercises on February 14 with…
Arctic Edge, a multinational, multidomain exercise that began in February 2026 in Alaska and Greenland, made history in two ways. It is the first time Greenland was included in the annual exercise, which will conclude mid-March. It also is the first time that United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) organized the exercise after Greenland’s defense was transferred to USNORTHCOM from U.S. European Command last year. Canadian, Danish and U.S. forces are taking part in Arctic Edge, designed to highlight the military capabilities of the allies in an often inhospitable region. Danish forces first participated in Arctic Edge in 2025, and this…
The second Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier destined for service in the United States Navy returned to port in February 2026 after a week of sea trials as the nuclear-powered vessel nears completion. The USS John F. Kennedy is expected to enter service in early 2027. The addition of a second cutting-edge carrier will increase U.S. force projection around the world and bolster national security. The carrier returned to Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia on February 4 after testing critical ship systems and components for the first time under realistic conditions. Hunter Ingalls Industries, the company responsible for manufacturing the…
On a visit to meet with Royal Marines and Army Commandos in the Arctic Circle in northern Norway, United Kingdom Defence Secretary John Healey announced that the number of British troops deployed to Norway will double over the next three years from 1,000 to 2,000. “Russia poses the greatest threat to Arctic and High North security that we have seen since the Cold War,” he said in a Ministry of Defence news release. “The U.K. is stepping up … doubling the number of troops we have in Norway and scaling up joint exercises with NATO allies.” Healey announced the plans while…
Mexican authorities conducted several recent operations against Tren de Aragua, a transnational criminal organization (TCO) designated by the United States as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO). Six members of Tren de Aragua recently were arrested on charges including extortion, drug offenses and human trafficking in Mexico City, Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection Omar García Harfuch said at a February 10, 2026, news conference. “This joint work between the institutions of the Security Cabinet and the coordination of state authorities has made it possible to weaken criminal structures, arrest priority targets, combat high-impact crimes and provide greater protection to citizens,”…
The United States Coast Guard’s Polar Star, a heavy icebreaker, celebrated its 50th anniversary in January 2026 in dramatic fashion by freeing an Australian cruise ship trapped in thick Antarctic ice. As the U.S. ramps up its production and acquisition of heavy icebreakers to solidify its defense of the approaches to North America, the Polar Star’s Antarctic deployment also highlighted the vital importance icebreakers have in protecting sea lanes, deterring adversaries and furthering scientific research in some of the world’s most remote and dangerous waters. The Polar Star deployed from its home port in Seattle, Washington, in late November 2025…