On January 27, 2025, President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14122, designating Mexican cartels like the Sinaloa Cartel and Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists.  This move, finalized by the State Department on February 20, 2025, allows the U.S. to freeze cartel assets, block their financial networks, and pursue narcoterrorism charges.  The goal is to choke off the fentanyl trade, which the CDC’s 2024 Update blames for over 100,000 U.S. overdose deaths each year.  Those deaths come with a staggering $1.5 billion economic hit, from healthcare costs to lost productivity.  The U.S. Department of Justice’s 2025 Cartel Enforcement Report details 1,200…

For years, Panama and the U.S. have conducted diplomacy. In 1903, the U.S. supported Panama’s succession from Colombia, leading to US control over the Panama Canal through the Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty. Although not all Panamanian citizens agreed with U.S. control over the canal, Panama has benefited from US support. Panama’s Darién Gap (“The Green Hell”) borders Colombia and Panama. The Green Hell has historically been used for migrant passage. The landscape, however, is nothing short of dangerous. Migrants are exposed to disease, robbery, sexual violence, and cartel exploitation. Chillingueros, local guides who know the routes, are often hired by migrants seeking passage. The Gulf Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel are among…

For decades, Greece has been infamous for chronic tax evasion. From cash-based transactions to local tavernas to undeclared vacation villas along the Aegean coast, under-the-table economic activity has undermined state revenue and fueled mistrust in government institutions. The consequences were particularly acute during the Eurozone debt crisis, when international creditors repeatedly pressed Athens to improve tax collection as a condition for financial support. Now, in an unexpected turn, Greece is emerging as a pioneer of technology-driven enforcement. In 2025, the government launched a “tax revolution,” deploying artificial intelligence, big data analytics, satellite imagery, and even drones to uncover hidden income and property. The initiative raises critical questions about how far…

A policy change by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) during the Trump administration had ripple effects that are still being felt. At the start of Trump’s second term, the U.S. announced it would end financial support for family planning programs in developing countries, arguing that they did not qualify as “lifesaving”. This decision was part of the broader dismantling of USAID and has left a devastating gap in global reproductive health. The United States provided 40 percent of the funding for family planning programs in 31 developing countries. This funding would have provided more than 47 million women contraceptive devices and medical services. The impact is severe…

The massacre known as “Bloody Sunday” occurred in Northern Ireland on January 30, 1972. On this date, thousands of people were protesting a new law that was enacted in Northern Ireland, which allowed law enforcement to imprison a civilian without the right to a trial. During this protest, troops were deployed to supervise and ensure the safety of civilians; however, the troops were actually the ones who turned this protest into a massacre. Throughout the protest, the troops fired 108 rounds of ammunition at the unarmed protestors. A total of thirteen people were shot and killed by the troops, with an additional fifteen people being injured. This shooting led to…

In 2022, the European Union (E.U.) launched the Network and Information Security Directive 2 (NIS2) to enhance cybersecurity protocols and compliance measures across a range of industries of varying sizes, as well as criticality and importance to Member States. These sectors include energy, transport, digital infrastructure, healthcare, and manufacturing entities. As a directive, NIS2 serves as a foundational regulatory framework for each Member State to implement according to the individualized needs of the State. Although the deadline for NIS2 implementation has passed, only 14 out of the 27 Member States have adopted national legislation. To date, there are no carveouts in the reporting requirements for corporations that operate in multiple…

On February 28, Europol announced the arrest of 25 individuals from 19 countries in a large-scale strike operation against child sexual exploitation. The investigation was led by Danish law enforcement. Operation Cumberland was a worldwide undertaking, resulting in the identification of 273 suspects, 25 arrests, and 173 electronic device seizures. Throughout the investigation, Europol, the Joint Cybercrime Action Taskforce (J-CAT), and Europol’s European Cybercrime Center helped coordinate law enforcement action and operational analysis to national investigators. Operation Cumberland is “one of the first cases involving AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM).” This large-scale hit highlighted the lack of national legislation on AI-generated child sexual abuse material. The novelty and rapidly…

With businesses operating across borders, public scrutiny has grown over exploitative practices like child labor, unsafe working conditions, and environmental degradation in global supply chains. Recent legislative efforts, such as Germany’s Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (SCDDA) and the European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), aim to enforce corporate responsibility by requiring companies to identify, prevent, and address the risks of human rights abuses and environmental harm within their supply chains. These laws mark a significant shift in international law, compelling businesses to adopt transparent, ethical practices or face legal and financial consequences. Germany’s SCDDA, effective as of January 2023, requires companies to identify and mitigate human rights…

TikTok is a social media application that allows individuals to connect from around the world, sharing content that is suited for any need. Most notably, TikTok is known for endless scrolling and a user curated algorithm that seems to read users’ minds. TikTok has over one billion users globally and has driven $15 billion in revenue for US small businesses, increasing sales by 88%. The social media app has fostered opportunities and discovery for millions of entrepreneurs across the globe. TikTok tracks which videos users engage with and how long they do so. Their privacy policy enables the app to track the contents of direct messages, country location, internet address,…

Did you know that every year thousands of artifacts vanish from museums, churches, private collections or archeological sites? From ancient coins and religious relics to world-class oil paintings and archaeological treasures, the illicit trade in cultural heritage has evolved into a highly organized and pervasive crime. Known as cultural heritage trafficking – or looting – this illegal practice involves the unauthorized removal, destruction, or transfer of cultural property, including monumental, archaeological, and anthropological artifacts. When an artifact is taken from its original context, it loses its ability to tell future generations about the lives, traditions, and histories of past civilizations. The theft of cultural heritage not only erases invaluable stories…