Transnational Criminal Organizations and Illicit Economies

The program examines security, especially transnational criminal organizations and illicit economies, particularly in Mexico, the Northern Triangle, and Colombia

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The Costs and Global Trade-Offs of U.S. Military Action Against Venezuela

U.S. military operations in the Caribbean, now in their sixth month, cost $31 million per day, $3 million of which is unbudgeted. The larger cost is the strategic trade-off in the allocation of military assets: Forces in the Caribbean are not available for other hotspots.

Commentary by Mark F. Cancian and Chris H. Park — January 15, 2026

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 CSIS Scholars — 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