MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Europol and Latin America agree to tackle organized crime, drugs trafficking and resilience of ports

Europol headquarters in The Hague, where Latin American law enforcement officers met with their EU counterparts

Ministerial delegations from Latin America spent several days of high level meetings in Europol headquarters in The Hague, aimed at strengthening cooperation between Latin American law enforcement authorities and Europol, enhancing strategic dialogue on tackling security threats such as organized crime and terrorism.

The visit of CLASI, (Latin American Committee for Internal Security), during the first week of March, was facilitated through the EU-funded EL PACCTO 2.0 project, and followed two days in Brussels on the margins of the Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Council on 5 March

Established in March 2022, CLASI plays a key role in coordinating efforts to combat serious and organized cross-border crime in Latin America. CLASI is supported by the EU-funded EL PACCTO 2.0 project, which aims to enhance security and justice in Latin America by supporting efforts to combat transnational organised crime. EL PACCTO 2.0 addresses the entire criminal chain through three key components: police, justice and the penitentiary system.

Europol’s engagement with CLASI aligns with its commitment to supporting international cooperation against transnational crime. Several CLASI member countries, including Colombia, Chile, Ecuador and Mexico, already have agreements with Europol, and CLASI provides a framework for further strategic commitment. Last week EU and Brazil signed an international agreement to fight organized crime and terrorism, which enables the exchange of operational information between Europol and Brazil. The initiative is endorsed by the EU Council, the European External Action Service and the European Commission. This visit focused on aligning Latin American security efforts with EMPACT to improve coordination in addressing common security challenges.

Discussions highlighted key security concerns, including the resilience of ports and other entry points, which are critical in the fight against serious and organized crime. Both Europe and Latin America face common threats such as drug trafficking, trafficking of weapons and explosives, cybercrime, organized property crime and financial and environmental crime. Criminal networks continue to exploit the digital age, legislative loopholes and border vulnerabilities, underscoring the need for a unified approach. As this visit marks the second CLASI delegation to Europol since 2022, it is a testament to the growing partnership between the European Union and Latin America on security matters. Europol remains committed to strengthening coordination, joint efforts and responses to emerging security threats, recognizing that cross-border crime cannot be tackled in isolation.

Europol’s Executive Director, Catherine De Bolle, underscored the importance of this collaboration: “Today, it is of great importance that the EU fosters an even higher level of cooperation with the countries of Latin America. Organized crime is truly global – we see it in every aspect of our work. Europol is fully dedicated to deepening our collaboration with our Latin American partners, ensuring that intelligence sharing, strategic coordination and joint operations continue to evolve in response to the growing common challenges that we currently face.”