THREAT REPORTS
The U.S.–Venezuela Showdown in the Caribbean
The Caribbean basin has entered a period of heightened geopolitical tension as the United States dramatically expands its military operations aimed at disrupting narcotics trafficking networks linked to Venezuela. What began as an intensified counter-drug campaign has evolved into a broader show of force, raising questions across the region about whether Washington is pursuing deterrence, coercive leverage, or preparing the ground for a more consequential military confrontation with Nicolás Maduro’s increasingly authoritarian government. According to recent reports, President Donald Trump has additionally authorized the CIA to carry out operations inside Venezuela-- an action that further increases regional concerns about covert escalation pathways and the risk of retaliatory spirals.
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Bandits-Threat to Nigeria’s Economy
The report outlines how widespread banditry in Nigeria has evolved into a major national security and economic crisis. It highlights how persistent attacks, kidnappings, and disruptions to farming, transportation, and local markets are driving up food prices, discouraging investment, and straining government resources. The analysis shows that bandit groups—operating across the northwest and central regions—are undermining rural livelihoods, forcing mass displacement, and reducing agricultural output, ultimately slowing national economic growth and weakening public confidence in state institutions.
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Fractured Nation: Syria Fragile Post -Wat Reality
In January 2025, HTS’s lightning offensive ousted Assad and installed an interim government under Ahmad al Sharaa, reclaiming coastal cities, oil fields, and ports with little outside interference. Yet Syria remains fractured into Kurdish‑run regions in the northeast, Turkish‑controlled enclaves in the north, and a patchwork of sectarian and tribal militias whose clashes—most violently between Alawites and government forces in March and Bedouin and Druze communities in July—have left thousands dead. With foreign patrons vying for influence and militias still armed, Syria’s fragile unity risks dissolving into competing quasi‑states unless an inclusive national dialogue and enforceable minority protections are secured.
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