A soybean shipment waits in the export corridor of the Port of Paranagua in the state of Parana, south of Brazil, in January 2025. China Merchants Port Holdings Co. Ltd. controls 90% of the port. REUTERS DIÁLOGO AMERICAS Peru’s Port of Chancay runs the risk of becoming an important organized crime hub, not only in Latin America but also internationally. Such was one of the findings of a recent report by national security think tank International Coalition Against Illicit Economies (ICAIE). “In our report we consulted experienced Peruvian police officers, who agreed that both Peruvian groups and transnational organizations, such…
The Watch
U.S. Soldiers from the Georgia National Guard work alongside U.S. Customs and Border Protection to conduct train inspections in Uvalde, Texas, on February 12, 2025. U.S. ARMY THE WATCH STAFF Soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division are among the most recent troops to arrive at the Mexico-United States Southern Border in February 2025. The deployment of troops support the presidential order clarifying the military’s role in protecting the territorial integrity of the United States and to achieve operational control of the 3,145-kilometer border. About 500 Soldiers from the Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion from the Fort Drum, New York-based division have…
The HMCS Margaret Brooke departs Halifax, Nova Scotia, for South America and Antarctica. ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY For the first time, a Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) vessel will circumnavigate South America and visit Antarctica, as the HMCS Margaret Brooke marks the debut of Operation Projection 2025. The Harry DeWolf-class vessel left Halifax, Nova Scotia, on January 10, 2025, on the historic four-month mission. The Margaret Brooke will visit numerous ports in South America and help build international relationships in cooperation with Global Affairs Canada. In Antarctica, the ship will support Canada’s Antarctic scientific research with scientists from government partners. The deployment will allow the…
Officers and Marines from the Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment prepare to deploy to the Cayman Islands in January 2025 for Event Horizon, a humanitarian aid and disaster relief exercise. TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS REGIMENT THE WATCH STAFF Nine nations gathered in the Cayman Islands in January 2025 to collaborate on search and rescue and disaster relief exercises designed to increase the interoperability of Caribbean defense forces and increase unity and knowledge of a diverse region. Exercise Event Horizon was hosted by the Cayman Islands, a British Overseas Territory, from January 10 to 19. The goal, according to the Cayman…
U.S. authorities removed malware from more than 4,200 computers after hacking groups backed by the Chinese Communist Party compromised them with infected USB devices. ISTOCK REUTERS The U.S. Justice Department said January 14 that it has deleted malware planted on more than 4,200 computers by a group of criminal hackers backed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The malware, known as “PlugX,” affected thousands of computers around the globe and was used to infect and steal information, the department said. Investigators said the malware was installed via infected USB devices by a band of hackers who are known by the…
F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft assigned to the 18th Fighter Interceptor Squadron from Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, are prepared for a mission during Operation Noble Defender at Pittufik Space Base on January 30, 2025. TECH SGT. CHRISTOPHER RUANO/U.S. AIR FORCE LT. COL. JOSEPH PICKENPAUGH, PE, PMP and LARRY PEPLINSKI, PE / USNORTHCOM and NORAD Pituffik Space Base (SB), Greenland, is the northernmost U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) installation, located at about 76 degrees 5 minutes latitude, far above the Arctic Circle. The base plays a critical role in missile warning, space surveillance and satellite control as part of the United…
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, center, is greeted by Army Soldiers while visiting the Mexico-U.S. border in Sunland Park, New Mexico, on February 3, 2025. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS THE WATCH STAFF On a visit to the U.S.-Mexico border on February 3, 2025, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that full control of the southern border is the goal of the Trump administration and all agencies working to enforce border security. Asked what mission accomplishment looks like, he said: “Mission accomplishment means 100% operational control of the border.” “Right now, that means a surge of manpower. … We’ve seen thousands of active-duty and National…
Andøya Spaceport is located at Nordmela on the Norwegian island of Andøya. Norway and the United States have signed a technology safeguards agreement that provides a legal and technical framework for U.S. commercial space launches from Andøya while ensuring proper handling of sensitive U.S. technology. ANDØYA SPACEPORT THE WATCH STAFF Norway and the United States have signed a deal that greenlights the export of U.S. space equipment to Norway for launches there. The technology safeguards agreement, or TSA, announced on January 16, 2025, protects the high-tech hardware of U.S. launch vehicles and payloads and is an essential milestone toward the…
The U.S. Coast Guard surged aviation assets beginning in late January 2025 to support border security efforts at the Mexico-U.S. frontier. U.S. COAST GUARD The U.S. Coast Guard began deportation flights in late January 2025 to support security efforts at the Mexico-U.S. border. The Coast Guard began “alien expulsion flights” on January 25, 2025, with the 11th Coast Guard District in California leading the effort. “Through these ongoing operations, the Coast Guard is detecting, deterring and interdicting aliens, drug smugglers and individuals intent on terrorism or other hostile activity before they reach our border. The Coast Guard continues to surge…
Sweden seized a vessel suspected of cutting undersea cables in the Baltic Sea in January 2025, the latest in a string of apparent sabotage incidents in the region. NATO THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Swedish prosecutors announced in late January 2025 that they have opened a preliminary investigation into suspected aggravated sabotage and ordered the detention of a vessel in the Baltic Sea suspected of damaging an underwater fiber-optic cable connecting Latvia and the Swedish island of Gotland. “Several authorities, including the National Police Operations Department, the Coast Guard and the Armed Forces, are involved in the investigation,” said Mats Ljungqvist, senior…