Border Wars Podcast

Latin America has taken a democratic backslide in the 21st century with more regimes entrenching themselves in power through autocratic practices and political repression. The lack of human rights and increase in political violence in Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua, are alarming, especially as this sort of authoritarian learning starts to spread throughout the region. For Episode 35 of the Border Wars Podcast, we are joined by Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez Lezcano of the Republic of Paraguay, who shares lessons learned throughout his 35 years of diplomatic experience. Paraguay is a staunch supporter of Israel; it's the largest country recognizing Taiwan; and is an important trade partner for Brazil and Argentina, two of the largest countries in Latin America. Minister Ramírez Lezcano takes us through a tour of the region, discussing the challenges in Venezuela and Cuba, while explaining the opportunities in the Caribbean countries. Nominated by Paraguayan President Santiago Peña as a candidate to be the next secretary general of the Organization of American States, Minister Ramírez Lezcano also provides his vision for the OAS ahead of its election in March 2025.

Marxism has evolved from being an economic theory to a cultural battle that is subverting public schools, universities, the media, hollywood, and much more throughout America and the world. This isn't Soviet Marxism of the 1960s, it's Next Gen Marxism that has fueled violent protests and riots from Chile to Colombia to the United States and is destroying the nuclear family. For Episode 34 of the Border Wars Podcast, we sit down with author and renowned scholar Katie Gorka, who describes the geneology of Marxism from Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, Antonio Gramsci, to Black Lives Matter and Antifa. In her latest book "Next Gen Marxism: What it is and how to combat it," co-authored with The Heritage Foundation scholar Mike Gonzalez, Gorka explains the top ten tactics for patriots to fight back and win the cultural battle against Woke ideology.

As China enters into a quarrel with the Philippines in the South China Sea and holds military drills encircling Taiwan - the question is no longer if China will attack but when? Understanding the warfare strategy of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is essential for U.S. national security and important for allies in the Indo-Pacific: India, Taiwan, Japan, Philippines, the Pacific Islands, and more. For Episode 33 of the Border Wars Podcast, we sit down with two top Indo-Pacific experts to explain what happens when China attacks and how to respond. Col. (ret) Grant Newsham from the Center for Security Policy (CSP) and Cleo Paskal from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) join the podcast to discuss how China's war against the U.S. and the West has already begun. Grant Newsham is a retired U.S. Marine and American Diplomat that has served in the Indo-Pacific for decades and lived in Tokyo for more than twenty years and the author of the new book "When China Attacks: A Warning To America." Cleo Paskal is a former travel journalist and current special correspondent for the Sunday Guardian newspaper in India, focusing her work on the Indo-Pacific, including recent research on the U.S. Freely Associated States of Micronesia, Palau, and the Marshall Islands.

En nuestro nuevo episodio de Border Wars Podcast conversamos sobre como ha afectado de manera negativa el Gobierno de Gustavo Petro el crecimiento económico en Colombia, trayendo así mayor desempleo, pobreza, inseguridad y el fortalecimiento de redes criminales transnacionales. Para hacer un claro análisis sobre la crisis social y polarización que vive Colombia, estuvo con nosotros, por segunda ocasión, María Fernanda Cabal, Senadora de la República de Colombia y una de las principales líderes opositoras al Gobierno de Gustavo Petro. ¿Podrá Gustavo Petro realizar una Asamblea Nacional Constituyente en Colombia como lo hizo Hugo Chávez en Venezuela? ¿Petro desencadenará una Guerra Civil? ¿Cuál es la incidencia de actores externos como Nicolás Maduro y el Foro de São Paulo en todo lo que está pasando en Colombia?

On April 13, Iran unleashed an unprecedented drone and missile attack against Israel. This follows the brutal terrorist attack by Iran-sponsored Hamas against Israel on October 7, 2023, and arming the Houthi Rebels in Yemen to function as long-range pirates in the Red Sea. Since November, the Iran-backed Houthis have launched more than 40 attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea, effectively choking off the Bab al-Mandab Strait and shutting down the Suez Canal. They did this by using armed drones, fast attack craft, guided missiles, and other armament provided to it by the Islamic Republic of Iran. For Episode 31 of the Border Wars Podcast, we sit down with Erik Prince, the founder of the private security company Blackwater and more recent co-founder of Unplugged, a secure software and smartphone, to explain how the Houthi-style long-range piracy tactics are coming to the Caribbean courtesy of Iran and Venezuela. We discuss how an impending conflict between Venezuela and Guyana, over a disputed border territory called the Essequibo, is an extension of Iran's proxy wars in the Middle East with the backing of Russia and China.

Iniciamos nuestra tercera temporada de Border Wars Podcast, por eso para este episodio número 30, conversamos con una gran invitada, se trata Patricia Bullrich, actual Ministra de Seguridad de la República de Argentina. Patricia Bullrich, Doctora en Ciencias Políticas, Presidenta del PRO (Propuesta Republicana) en Argentina y Ex Diputada de la Nación por la Ciudad de Buenos Aires; junto a ella, nuestro Director Ejecutivo Joseph Humire, analizaron el cambio y crecimiento positivo que está viviendo la nación de Argentina con el liderazgo del Presidente Javier Milei, tras la crisis económica y social producida por más de 20 años en manos del kirchnerismo. ¿Cuál ha sido la incidencia directa que ha tenido Irán en la nación de Argentina a través de diferentes hechos de terrorismo como el atentado a la AMIA y el reciente caso del avión de Emtrasur con tripulantes miembros de la Guardia Revolucionaria Iraní? ¿De qué manera podemos unir esfuerzos en la región para enfrentar a dictadores como Nicolás Maduro y el Estado criminal que lidera desde Venezuela?

En un nuevo episodio de Border Wars Podcast conversamos con Alicia Galván y Humberto López, fundadores de Patria Unida, un think thank de México con el propósito principal de levantar líderes en esa nación con la capacidad de defender las ideas de la libertad y la democracia en México. Las ideas del socialismo lideradas por el Presidente Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) han traído un panorama de inestabilidad político-social para México; es así como Patria Unida, en el año 2022, se levantó como un movimiento, una voz para hacer oposición a la izquierda desde la sociedad civil. ¿Cómo es la conexión que existe entre el Presidente AMLO, el crimen organizado y las redes de narcotráfico? ¿Qué buscó el Presidente Andrés Manuel López Obrador con la creación de una Guardia Nacional y su similitud con la Guardia Civil creada hace algunos años por Hugo Chávez en Venezuela? ¿Cuál es el propósito de AMLO al consolidar y establecer alianzas con Venezuela Rusia, Irán y China, y cómo esto trae riesgos para la estabilidad y seguridad del Hemisferio Occidental? Los invitamos ver este episodio para entender lo que sucede en México junto a los fundadores de Patria Unida, nuestro Director Ejecutivo Joseph Humire y el análisis de nuestro Investigador Senior José Gustavo Arocha. Para conocer más sobre Patria Unida: www.patriaunida.mx Instagram: www.instagram.com/patriaunidamx X: www.twitter.com/PatriaUnidaMX

Central America has long been plagued with crime and corruption that has stifled foreign investment and slowed economic growth. That's where Próspera comes in. Próspera is a special economic zone or Zonas de Empleo y Desarrollo Económico (ZEDE) on the island of Roatán in the Central American country of Honduras. It's a legal autonomous zone with its own fiscal, regulatory, and administrative architecture - which is the key to its success and challenges. Not bound by the overburdened regulatory system of Honduras nor its complicated tax system, Prospera provides incentives for start-up companies and investors to thrive. More importantly it provides the legal framework for a stronger Rule of Law in a country whose current government is destroying the Rule of Law. For Episode 28 of the Border Wars Podcast we are joined by Nick Dranias, the general counsel of Próspera, to discuss the recent attacks made by the Xiomara Castro government in Honduras and efforts at indirect expropriation of foreign companies that are not Chinese or Russian. Who is behind these attacks? How far are they willing to go?

The unprecedented crisis on America's southern border has enormous ramifications for U.S. national security. None more urgent than the significant rise of suspected terrorists encountered or apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border. With the global context of the escalating war in the Middle East by Iran and its proxies (Hamas, Houthis, Hezbollah, etc.) - is America prepared for the Middle East war coming to the southern border? For Episode 27 of the Border Wars Podcast, we travel to Austin, Texas to sit down with Todd Bensman, a former Texas Department of Public Safety Counterterrorism analyst and intelligence manager and author of two bestselling books about the ongoing U.S. southern border crisis. Todd takes us through his twenty-plus years of experience investigating terrorism cases on the U.S. southern border and explains why "Hezbollah is the most dangerous designated terrorist group in the world." 

Las violentas protestas que vivió Chile de manera sistemática desde 2019 generaron una desestabilización social y política para la democracia de este país. Para analizar el contexto que vive Chile, estuvo con nosotros Aldo Cassinelli, reconocido académico, escritor y actual Director Ejecutivo de Estudio de Opinión DataCamp. Autor del libro "Un sistema político para el Chile que viene", publicación que recientemente lo hizo merecedor del galardón al mejor libro político del año, premio otorgado durante el Victory Napolitan Award 2023, el pasado mes de agosto en la ciudad de Washington DC. ¿Por qué los chilenos votaron NO a la nueva Constitución? ¿Cómo la migración, inseguridad e inestabilidad política están afectando a Chile? ¿Cuál es el pronóstico para el Plebiscito que tendrán los chilenos este domingo 17 de diciembre? Conozca todos los detalles durante esta interesante conversación sobre Chile y América Latina. Libro: "Un sistema político para el Chile que viene" - https://www.buscalibre.us/libro-un-sistema-politico-para-el-chile-que-viene/9789566121039/p/54298780

En este nuevo episodio de Border Wars Podcast conversamos sobre la evidente presencia de operadores de Irán y Hezbollah en diferentes países de América Latina y su gran incidencia geopolítica para la región teniendo a Venezuela como principal socio y punto estratégico de operaciones. Casos como el atentado terrorista en 1994 al edificio de la AMIA en Buenos Aires, Argentina; la presencia en marzo de este año 2023 de buques de guerra iraníes en Río de Janeiro, Brasil, y el adoctrinamiento político de peruanos en Irán para participar activamente en las protestas de 2019 en Perú, son algunos de los hechos que ratifican la penetración de Hezbollah en América Latina. ¿Cómo inició esta escalada de Irán en el hemisferio occidental? ¿Cuáles son sus objetivos en la región y quienes son los aliados de Hezbollah en América Latina?

With the surging crisis on the U.S. southern border, there is an increased emphasis on the threats posed by Mexican drug cartels. But most contemporary analysis of the cartels does not include the profound changes that have taken place in Mexico since NAFTA, transforming the Mexican cartels from top-down command and control structures to more complex, adaptive systems that are no longer structured around "kingpins" but are horizontally-aligned networks that are increasingly controlling more territory. For Episode 24 of the Border Wars Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera who is a professor at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University and among the foremost experts on the Mexican cartels and the US-Mexico border. Dr. Correa-Cabrera has published several books about Mexico including her 2017 book "Los Zetas Inc." where she describes the new "business model" for Mexican transnational criminal organizations. Dr. Correa-Cabrera, who lives in Brownsville, Texas, along the US-Mexico border, explains why the United States needs to modernize its strategy to combat transnational organized crime and respond to the surging crisis on the U.S. southern border. To learn more about Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera click here: https://schar.gmu.edu/profiles/gcorreac To follow Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera on X (@GCorreaCabrera): https://twitter.com/GCorreaCabrera

There has not been a radical Leftist government in Latin America that has come to power without first dividing the right-of-center, conservative movements in the region. This past July, several think tanks, academic centers, political figures, and others set out to remedy this by gathering in Miami, Florida for the inaugural Carvalho Dialogue of the Americas, named after the the late Brazilian philosopher and teacher Olavo de Carvalho. For Episode 23 of the Border Wars Podcast, we talk with Mike Gonzalez and Simon Hankinson from The Heritage Foundation to discuss the outcomes from the Miami meeting as well as the overall challenges and opportunities in Latin America and the Caribbean. From Marxist indoctrination to President Biden's failed border policies, the United States is starting to look more like the worst aspects of Latin America. Driving an even greater urgency to unite the friends of freedom from the Rio Grande down to Tierra del Fuego to push back the tide or rising socialist, authoritarianism.

On October 7, the Iran-sponsored terrorist group Hamas unleashed an unprecedented, brutal terrorist attack against Israel, sneaking across its border and killing and kidnapping Israelis, Americans, and other citizens. This attack has escalated tensions between Iran and the West to the brink of another war in the Middle East. But this war will have spillover effects worldwide, especially in Latin America. For Episode 22 of the Border Wars Podcast, we sit down with Emanuele Ottolenghi, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a researcher who has been examining Iran's proxy networks from the Middle East to Europe to Latin America. We discuss Latin America's transformations after the Cold War and how Iran has capitalized on this to insert itself into the culture, academia, and politics of the region. We also talk about Iran's Revolutionary Guards and how the IRGC has a growing network of terrorists, military procurement, and intelligence operatives in Latin America.

En un nuevo episodio de Border Wars Podcast conversamos sobre Javier Milei, Argentina y la Sociedad Libre. Javier Milei, quien lidera las encuestas con un gran apoyo nacional para ser el próximo presidente de Argentina, propone un cambio importante a través de las ideas de la libertad para sacar a su país de la crisis económica y social que vive actualmente causada por el kirchnerismo. Para hacer un claro análisis sobre Javier Milei y Argentina, estuvo con nosotros Alejandro A. Chafuen, PhD, fundador de SFS, ex presidente de Atlas Network, y actual Director General de Acton Institute. ¿Cuáles serían los principales cambios que tendría Argentina si Javier Milei gana la presidencia? ¿Quiénes conformarían el equipo de Gobierno de Javier Milei? De ganar la presidencia Javier Milei, Patricia Bullrich o Sergio Massa, ¿Cómo sería el escenario geopolítico de Argentina con actores externos como China?

El reciente asesinato de Fernando Villavicencio, candidato a la presidencia del Ecuador, impactó al mundo en medio de una gran crisis de seguridad que viven diferentes países en Latinoamérica. Para analizar todo lo que rodea la muerte de Villavicencio, estuvo con nosotros en exclusiva Christian Zurita, ex candidato presidencial y amigo cercano de Fernando. ¿Quiénes estuvieron detrás de este crimen? ¿Hay incidencia de actores externos que desean retomar el poder en Ecuador? ¿Cuál es el futuro de la nación y sus desafíos geopolíticos?

Iniciando nuestra segunda temporada de Border Wars Podcast conversamos sobre los desafíos geopolíticos que enfrenta Argentina y la incidencia que han tenido actores externos en la crisis social, económica y de inseguridad que vive en la actualidad esta nación. Para hacer un claro análisis sobre la crisis que vive este país, viajó desde Argentina, para estar con nosotros en Washington DC, nuestro Senior Fellow Ricardo Ferrer, egresado de la National Defense University de Estados Unidos, reconocido investigador y analista internacional en seguridad estratégica y terrorismo. ¿De continuar el kirchnerismo en el poder, podría Argentina convertirse en la próxima Venezuela de la Región? ¿Qué escenario se puede esperar de las elecciones primarias y el futuro presidencial en la Argentina? ¿Cuál es la incidencia de actores externos como China, Rusia e Irán en Argentina? Bienvenidos a Border Wars, el primer podcast sobre amenazas transregionales de las Américas.

On March 20, 2003, a "coalition of the willing," made up of the U.S. and its allies, entered Iraq. They knew who their enemy was: Saddam Hussein and his Ba'athist army. The coalition made short work of defeating the Iraqi military, but, as everyone knows, the worst was yet to come. The Iraqi insurgency took many forms and made a common cause with Sunni jihadist groups, connected to al-Qaeda. While the U.S. was distracted, fighting the Sunni insurgency, Iran made its move. A Shiite militia, known as the Badr Corps, established itself through Shiite political leaders like Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, to allow Iran to eventually control Iraq. Today, twenty years later, the Islamic Republic of Iran is the main political force in Baghdad and pro-Tehran militias operate in Iraq with impunity. No one knows more about how America's intelligence failures in Iraq played into the hands of Iran - than Michael Pregent - a former US Army Signals Intelligence Operator, who, as a civilian advisor, was embedded into the extra-constitutional Office of the Commander-in-Chief led by then Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in Baghdad. Michael not only saw firsthand how an Iranian-backed Shia militia party was set up to control Iraq's security and political process, but he also warned US policymakers about Qods Force General Qassem Soleimani's rise to prominence in Iraq, well before the rest of the world learned about this terrorist mastermind when he was killed by a US drone strike in Baghdad in 2020. For Episode 18 of the Border Wars Podcast, two combat veterans of the Iraq War, sit down to discuss the lessons learned from the last twenty years. Joseph Humire is joined by Michael Pregent who is now a Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute and an expert on intelligence and Middle Eastern affairs. Join in on the conversation and if you enjoy the episode, be sure to hit the like button, share it with your friends and family, and subscribe to our channel.

One year after Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine, many are wondering what the next phase of the war will be. A peace agreement appears increasingly elusive as China and Iran have stepped in to assist Vladimir Putin in his war effort, meanwhile Americans are losing patience with what appears to be another prolonged proxy war. For Episode 17 of the Border Wars Podcast, we sit down with Ilan Berman, national security expert and the Senior Vice President of the American Foreign Policy Council, to help us explain the nuances of the Russia-Ukraine War and describe the geopolitical significance of Vladimir Putin's motives in his aggression against Slovak nations and what can come next as he attempts to reestablish the Russian Empire and spark World War 3. Join in on the conversation and if you enjoy the episode, be sure to hit the like button, share it with your friends and family, and subscribe to our channel.

The Border Wars Podcast is back for a new series of episodes. Episode 16, and the first for 2023, takes a deep dive into the top U.S. national security issue of today: the People's Republic of China (PRC). Renowned geopolitical expert and author, Gordon Chang, joins the podcast to take us through the ins and outs of how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) embraced "capitalism" as a means to an end to enhancing its war footing against the United States and prepare for a conflict. Taking over Taiwan is the first step in China's War against America. Join in on the conversation and if you enjoy the episode, be sure to hit the like button, share it with your friends and family, and subscribe to our channel.

En nuestro nuevo episodio de Border Wars Podcast conversamos sobre la destitución de Pedro Castillo como Presidente de Perú tras su intento de ejecutar un Golpe de Estado disolviendo el Congreso. Para hacer un claro análisis sobre la crisis social y polarización que vive este país, se conectó con nosotros desde Perú nuestro Senior Fellow Dardo López-Dolz, Exviceministro del Interior de Perú, reconocido investigador y consultor internacional. ¿Podría Pedro Castillo quedar en libertad? ¿Qué escenario se puede esperar en Perú bajo la presidencia de Dina Boluarte? ¿Cuál es la incidencia de actores externos como China, Rusia e Irán en Perú? Bienvenidos a Border Wars, el primer podcast sobre amenazas transregionales de las Américas.

We are experiencing an unprecedented crisis at the U.S. southern border. So I traveled to the border to see the situation firsthand. In Brownsville, Texas, I immediately saw the "catch and release" policy of the Biden administration in action, as migrants were released into Texas after being apprehended. But across the border, in Matamoros, Mexico, I ran into something much worse: The Mexican Cartels. Episode 14 of the Border Wars Podcast is about my trip this past August to Matamoros, Mexico, where we'll show you the situation on the border with migrants, drugs, NGOs, and cartels mixed in a blender of suspense.

Fentanyl is the number one drug causing overdose deaths in the United States. The problem is they aren't all from overdose. Two milligrams (mg) of fentanyl can be lethal depending on a person's body size, tolerance and past usage. 42% of pills tested for fentanyl contained at least 2 mg of fentanyl, considered a potentially lethal dose. Meaning that you can die from fentanyl the first time you consume it. These are not overdose deaths, this is mass fentanyl poisoning that is plaguing rural, urban, and suburban communities throughout the United States. Episode 13 of the podcast brings back Derek Maltz, a retired special agent of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) who rose the ranks to become the director of the Special Operations Division (SOD), spending his entire career fighting against major drug cartels, international terrorists and arms traffickers, and saving American lives. A 28-year career that involves some of the most high-profile arrests in the history of law enforcement, to include the infamous Russian arms dealer, Viktor Bout, or the international arms trafficker, Monzer al-Kassar, to the narco-nephews of the wife of Venezuelan regime leader, Nicolás Maduro and his Cartel of the Suns. In this episode we discuss how Mexican cartels are working with Chinese transnational criminal organizations to distribute fentanyl by the kilogram across the U.S. southern border. One kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill half a million people. Join in on the conversation and, if you enjoy the video, be sure to hit the like button, share with your friends and family, and subscribe to our channel.

Episode 12 is a special podcast in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, featuring two proud veterans of the U.S. Army who were born in Mexico and Nicaragua, respectively. Sergio De La Peña and Manuel Rosales (along with Joseph Humire from the Marine Corps) and their respective families, have a combined military record that follows four generations of Hispanic Americans serving in the U.S. military. Telling stories and sharing first hand experiences from their time in uniform, the podcast takes you from World War II to the Vietnam War through the Cold War into the War on Terror in Iraq and Afghanistan. Showcasing the contributions that Latinos have made, and continue to make, to this great country.

En nuestro primer episodio en vivo conversamos sobre las elecciones presidenciales que se están viviendo en la República de Brasil entre el presidente Jair Bolsonaro y el expresidente Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Para analizar el escenario que se vive en uno de los países más importantes de Latinoamérica nos acompañaron reconocidos analistas internacionales como Ernesto Araújo, excanciller de la República de Brasil y Leonardo Coutinho, SFS Senior Fellow, periodista y autor del libro "Hugo Chávez, o espectro". ¿Cuál fue el balance de la primera contienda presidencial en Brasil y quién podría ganar la segunda vuelta? ¿Cómo sería el futuro geopolítico de Brasil en relación con Rusia, China y Estados Unidos? Bienvenidos a Border Wars, el primer podcast sobre amenazas transregionales de las Américas.

Episode 10 of the Border Wars Podcast talks to SFS Senior Fellow David Grantham, PhD, who served as a Special Agent for the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI). A relatively secretive spy agency for the Air Force and Space Force, David takes us behind the scenes on how to join OSI and what that agency does in garrison and on the battlefield in Afghanistan and in one of the most infamous prisons in Iraq. From recruiting foreign sources in Kuwait to managing the force protection of Camp Bucca in southern Iraq, we delve into how OSI carries out its counterintelligence mission against Al Qaeda in Iraq and against Iran. Then to Latin America to fight drug cartels from Venezuela to Mexico up to the U.S. southern border, David explains why Texas is a target of adversarial nation-states and associated Mexican cartels. This is the topic of our most recent issue in the Transregional Threats Journal (link below). David's book "Consequences: An Intelligence Officer's War" tells the story of "an ordinary man with an extraordinary story" and we tell his story on this episode of the Border Wars podcast. Read TTJournal Issue 10 Online: https://www.securefreesociety.org/research/weaponized-drug-trafficking Download PDF: Available on 09/20/2022 Book - Consequences: An Intelligence Officer's War: https://amzn.to/3qFEovK

En nuestro nuevo episodio de Border Wars Podcast conversamos desde Dallas, Texas, con la Senadora de Colombia María Fernanda Cabal, la principal líder de la oposición frente al actual Gobierno de Colombia, y nuestro Senior Fellow José Gustavo Arocha. Nuestro Director Ejecutivo Joseph Humire, junto a estos invitados, analizaron el peligro que significa para la región el desarrollo de los Juegos de Guerra (International Army Games) que lidera Rusia en Venezuela con la participación de Irán, China y otros países, ¿Cuál es el riesgo de reabrir fronteras entre Colombia - Venezuela y activar relaciones con Nicolás Maduro? y cómo será el futuro geopolítico de Colombia con Petro en el poder. Bienvenidos a Border Wars, el primer podcast sobre amenazas transregionales de las Américas.

Episode 8 of the Border Wars Podcast is about El Salvador. On October 15, 2018, the U.S. Department of Justice designated La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) as a major transnational criminal organization. Consecutive governments in El Salvador tried to negotiate with MS-13 leaders in efforts to calm down gang violence and reduce the high-rate of homicides. These efforts failed. Former Washington Post investigative journalist and U.S. Defense Department consultant, Douglas Farah, has been investigating gangs in El Salvador since their formation in the 1990s. Published by the Institute for National Strategic Studies (INSS), his most recent report argues that MS-13 is no longer simply a street gang but rather a Community-Embedded Transnational Armed Group (CETAG) that operates in several countries with a structured order of battle and political power. Doug's work on gangs and transnational organized crime pioneered a new concept called "criminalized states," which we discuss in the latest episode of the Border Wars Podcast. Read the following reports related to the topics discussed in this episode. INSS Strategic Perspective No. 38 report "Gangs No Longer: Reassessing Transnational Armed Groups in the Western Hemisphere": https://ndupress.ndu.edu/Media/News/Article/3041245/gangs-no-longer-reassessing-transnational-armed-groups-in-the-western-hemisphere/ Download PDF: https://ndupress.ndu.edu/Portals/68/Documents/stratperspective/inss/Strategic-Perspectives-38.pdf SFS Policy Report on "Suriname: The New Paradigm of a Criminalized State" - https://www.securefreesociety.org/research/march-2017-issue-3/

Episode 7 of the Border Wars Podcast is dedicated to our new Transregional Threats Journal article, "Killer Drones." Authored by Colonel (ret.) Bill Edwards, there is no one better suited to analyze this evolution in technology and associated threats. With multiple combat tours to include Operation Iraqi Freedom to then serving as the director of intelligence for J2, Special Operations Command-North (SOCNORTH) - in this episode, Bill discusses how drones are changing battlefields, borders, and life as we know it - for good and bad. Now in the private sector, Bill Edwards is consulting several companies on how to prepare for this drastic uptick in the abuse of commercial drones and shares some of his recommendations in the podcast. From the Ukraine War to Venezuela to Mexican cartels on the US southern border, drones are a major focus for SFS research and featured for the first time in this podcast and the associated Transregional Threats Journal (link below). Read #TTJournal Issue 09 Online: https://www.securefreesociety.org/research/killer-drones/ Download PDF: https://bit.ly/TTJ09Magazine Book - Inside Abu Ghraib: Memoirs of Two U.S. Military Intelligence Officers: https://www.amazon.com/Inside-Abu-Ghraib-Military-Intelligence-ebook/dp/B09K5P9B8X Welcome to Border Wars, the first bilingual (EN/ES) podcast that goes beyond the border.

En nuestro sexto episodio de Border Wars Podcast conversamos sobre los diferentes actores implicados en el asesinato del fiscal paraguayo Marcelo Pecci a manos de sicarios en la Isla de Barú en Cartagena, Colombia. ¿Quiénes podrían ser los autores intelectuales? ¿Un grupo terrorista como Hezbollah o grandes carteles de droga como el PCC de Brasil? Le invitamos a escuchar a nuestro Director Ejecutivo SFS, Joseph Humire, en compañía de invitados especiales, para analizar este crimen.

En nuestro quinto episodio de Border Wars Podcast hicimos un análisis sobre las elecciones presidenciales de Colombia. Únase a esta conversación con nuestro Director Ejecutivo SFS, Joseph Humire, en compañía de invitados especiales:

En nuestro cuarto episodio de Border Wars Podcast conversamos con dos reconocidos expertos sobre la Cumbre de las Américas 2022 que se realizó en la ciudad de Los Ángeles, Estados Unidos. ¿Quiénes trataron de hacer boicot a la Cumbre? ¿Qué está buscando el presidente de México AMLO al no asistir a la Cumbre y si respaldar a las dictaduras de Venezuela, Cuba y Nicaragua? ¿Cuál es el futuro que tendrán las relaciones entre los presidentes Joe Biden y Jair Bolsonaro? Únase a esta conversación con nuestro Director Ejecutivo SFS, Joseph Humire, en compañía de invitados especiales:

En el tercer episodio de Border Wars Podcast continuamos nuestra conversación sobre Venezuela junto a 3 coroneles retirados de Venezuela, Colombia y Estados Unidos. ¿Por qué falló el 30 de abril - Operación Libertad? ¿Qué factores han permitido que Nicolás Maduro se mantenga en el poder? ¿Las FANB podrían rebelarse contra Maduro? Únase a esta conversación con nuestro Director Ejecutivo SFS, Joseph Humire, en compañía de invitados especiales:

En nuestro segundo episodio de Border Wars Podcast conversamos en exclusiva con 3 coroneles retirados de Venezuela, Colombia y Estados Unidos; quienes de manera franca y directa nos explican porque fracasó "El Cucutazo", y cómo después de tres años Nicolás Maduro ha logrado resistir la presión internacional haciéndose más fuerte en el poder. En medio de un escenario tan peligroso y oscuro para el pueblo venezolano, ¿Cómo sacar del poder a Nicolás Maduro? ¿Son las FANB en Venezuela importantes para liberar el pueblo venezolano? Únase a nuestro Director Ejecutivo SFS, Joseph Humire, en compañía de estos invitados especiales:

Welcome to Border Wars, the first bilingual (EN/ES) podcast that goes beyond the border. Today's conversation is with three scholar-practitioners, who have not only studied the crisis at the US southern border they have worked border security issues through law enforcement, intelligence, and the military. Join SFS Executive Director Joseph Humire for our premier episode of the Border Wars Podcast with special guests: - Derek Maltz, former Director, DEA Special Operations Division. - Sergio de la Peña, former US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Western Hemisphere Affairs. - David Grantham, PhD, former US Air Force Office of Special Investigations and Texas Intelligence Specialist. What does the border mean for the United States? This first episode explores this question with top experts who have spent their careers protecting our borders from criminals and terrorists. From the Fentanyl drug crisis to weaponized mass migration—the crisis at the US southern border is at the heart of many of the problems our country is facing, and is where we begin our conversation on Border Wars.

Through a decade of field research, the next-generation, national security think tank, the Center for a Secure Free Society has uncovered numerous cases of transregional criminal and terrorist elements operating in Latin America. These threats are growing and catalyzing an unprecedented crisis on the U.S. southern border. A crisis that many Americans are aware of but few understand. Until Now. Welcome to Border Wars, the first bilingual podcast that goes beyond the border. Subscribe to the Border Wars Podcast and visit our website at securefreesociety.org.