Mexican federal authorities seized 24,400 liters of liquid methamphetamine in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, in June, the second-largest liquid meth seizure in Mexican history. An alleged member of the Sinaloa Cartel was arrested. In addition to the liquid methamphetamine, 98,640 liters and 59,425 kilograms of “chemical substances used for the manufacture of synthetic drugs” were confiscated during the operation June 19-20, 2026, a Ministry of National Defense (DEFENSA) news release said. DEFENSA said the economic impact on organized crime amounted to more than $500 million. One man was arrested during the raid on the property, which was reportedly an agricultural warehouse,…
The Watch
Twelve NATO members have agreed to expand their security presence in the High North to counter adversarial actions by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Russia in the increasingly contested region. The pact emerged from the July 2026 NATO summit in Ankara, Türkiye. Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom pledged to take greater maritime responsibility for deterrence in the North Atlantic, the Baltic Sea and the Arctic Ocean. The agreement also strengthens military ties and coordination between the European NATO members and Canada. “With this initiative, Europe and Canada are…
Mexican security forces arrested a regional leader of the Sinaloa Cartel along with a local law enforcement chief in the latest action against transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) in the government’s fight to disrupt their influence on the cartel’s home turf. The June 2026 operation resulted in the arrests of Misael Guerro Pérez, also known as “Güero Pink,” along with Hilario Javier, the former director of public security and municipal transit of Escuinapa, a town in southern Sinaloa State where the men were apprehended. Military intelligence gathered by the National Secretariat of Defense (DEFENSA) proved decisive in their capture, according to…
Norway’s chief of defence visited the United States Northern Command in July 2026, meeting with USNORTHCOM’s Commander Gen. Gregory M. Guillot to discuss how the NATO allies can strengthen interoperability and strategic collaboration in the Arctic. Gen. Eirik Kristoffersen’s July 15 visit to USNORTHCOM’s Colorado headquarters “focused on maximizing combined defense capabilities and operational synchronization in the Arctic and High North,” according to a USNORTHCOM news release. Guillot and Kristoffersen explored ways to further integrate alliance forces through collaborative training and joint operations with the aim of maintaining the region’s security and stability. “Both leaders emphasized that deepening ties between…
Mexico and the United States jointly opened a New World screwworm fly production facility in June 2026 to thwart the advance of a pest that threatens livestock and agricultural production in both countries. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, U.S. Agricultural Secretary Brooke Rollins and U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ron Johnson opened the facility in Metas in Chiapas state in southern Mexico. It will produce sterile flies, a technique that has proved successful in past outbreaks. “The cooperation we are advancing today reflects the commitment of President Trump and President Sheinbaum to deliver tangible solutions and measurable results. By combining expertise, resources,…
Vice Adm. Dan Charlebois assumed command of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) from Vice Adm. Angus Topshee on June 16, 2026, at a change-of-command ceremony presided over by Gen. Jennie Carignan, chief of defence staff, at the HMCS Star in Hamilton, Ontario. “I am humbled and honoured to assume the watch as Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy,” Charlebois said, according to an RCN news release. “Our sailors, together with our civilians and the families who support them, are the foundation of everything we do.” Charlebois is the 39th commander of the RCN. He has served in command and staff roles, most recently…
Five officers of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) attended the executive meeting of the North American Maritime Security Initiative (NAMSI), the premier multilateral maritime security forum in the western hemisphere, in Norfolk, Virginia, in May. Naval Forces Northern Command (NAVNORTH) hosted the event, whose theme was Breaking Barriers to Cooperation. RBDF Capt. Glenn McPhee, Capt. Michael Hanna, Capt. Derrick Ferguson, Cmdr. Valentino Rolle and Cmdr. Sidney Whyms participated as guest delegates. NAMSI is a trilateral forum that includes Canada, Mexico and the United States, but it is exploring future integration of The Bahamas. The NAMSI executive meeting provides a…
NATO opened its newest Forward Land Forces (FLF) base in northern Finland in June 2026, establishing a frontline defensive presence in the eastern Arctic as a Russian military buildup continues to make Europe’s northeastern flank a strategic flashpoint. The June 6 ceremony also marked the first time that Sweden, which joined the transatlantic alliance in 2024, has placed its troops directly under NATO command. A battalion from the Norrbotten Regiment based in Boden, in northern Sweden, has been designated as the first force to deploy to the FLF in Rovaniemi, the capital of Lapland. Sweden’s Minister for Defence, Pål Jonson…
The United States Navy hosted 18 allies and partners in a fleet exercise off the coast of Norfolk, Virginia, in June 2026, honing interoperability and force projection capabilities before naval forces headed north to take part in celebrations of the nation’s 250th anniversary. Fleet Exercise 250 involved warships and multinational aircraft engaged in antiair, antisubmarine and amphibious operations between June 22-29, which ended with “a scenario-driven event against a dynamic adversary,” according to a War Department news release. The U.S. 2nd Fleet hosted the exercise “to build cohesiveness, validate tactical procedures and strengthen the collective capabilities of the participating forces…
Mexico’s crackdown against organized crime continues to bear fruit as the government reported a daily average of 47.3 homicides in May, the lowest monthly figure since President Claudia Sheinbaum took office in October 2024 and the lowest number for May in 11 years. The president pointed to the persistent work of Cabinet officials as one reason Mexico has been able to curb the violence often perpetuated by transnational criminal organizations. “Look at the result – a 46% reduction in homicides,” Sheinbaum told reporters in June, pointing to the difference between the homicide rate of May 2026 and the one for…