Rubi Bledsoe

Research Associate, Americas Program
Rubi Bledsoe

Rubi Bledsoe is a research associate with the Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Prior to joining CSIS, she was a national security fellow and a cyber fellow with the Strauss Center for International Security and Law at the University of Texas at Austin. Her research interests include transnational criminal organizations and the use of mis- and disinformation by violent non-state actors. Ms. Bledsoe has worked in the Middle East and is fluent in Arabic, French, and Spanish. She graduated magna cum laude with a BA in international and global studies from Middlebury College and magna cum laude with a MA in global policy studies from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs.

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35 West

From Counter-narcotics to Counterterror

In this episode, Rubi Bledsoe sits down with Aileen Teague to discuss U.S. military operations against drug traffickers.

Podcast Episode by Rubi Bledsoe — October 30, 2025

CSIS 35 West

Pentagon Announces a New Counternarcotics Task Force in the Caribbean

CSIS Americas Program experts explain the significance of the Department of Defense’s establishment of a new Counternarcotics Task Force and consider how this reflects the Trump administration’s national security priorities.

Critical Questions by Ryan C. Berg, Christopher Hernandez-Roy, Henry Ziemer, Rubi Bledsoe, and Isabel Teran — October 23, 2025

Audio Briefs

Pentagon Announces a New Counternarcotics Task Force in the Caribbean

An audio version of "⁠Pentagon Announces a New Counternarcotics Task Force in the Caribbean⁠," a new Critical Questions by CSIS's Ryan C. Berg, Christopher Hernandez-Roy, Henry Ziemer, Rubi Bledsoe, and Isabel Teran. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs.

Podcast Episode by Ryan C. Berg, Christopher Hernandez-Roy, Henry Ziemer, Rubi Bledsoe, and Isabel Teran — October 23, 2025

Audio Briefs

When Crime Becomes Terror: Rethinking the FTO Designation

CSIS Americas Research Associate Rubi Bledsoe analyzes the recent designations of criminal organizations as FTOs by the Trump administration and discusses key similarities and differences between the groups.

Commentary by Rubi Bledsoe — October 21, 2025

Audio Briefs

When Crime Becomes Terror: Rethinking the FTO Designation

An audio version of “⁠When Crime Becomes Terror: Rethinking the FTO Designation⁠,” a new Commentary by CSIS’s Rubi Bledsoe. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs

Podcast Episode by Rubi Bledsoe — October 21, 2025

Audio Briefs
Audio Briefs

The Role of Social Media in Cartel Recruitment

An audio version of “⁠The Role of Social Media in Cartel Recruitment⁠,” a new Commentary by CSIS’s Rubi Bledsoe. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs. 

Podcast Episode by Rubi Bledsoe — May 28, 2025

Audio Briefs

The Role of Social Media in Cartel Recruitment

CSIS Americas Research Associate Rubi Bledsoe delves into the intricacies of digital recruitment tactics by Mexican cartels, the factors that make the youth vulnerable to them, and best avenues to combat them.

Commentary by Rubi Bledsoe — May 28, 2025