International Coalition Against Illicit Economies (ICAIE) / ICAIE Labs

Awesome to continue to hear (including this morning) from distinguished professionals from around the world on my earlier studies at Harvard Business School Online, and their inspiration to challenge themselves with new business management knowledge, and their successes. I continue to apply the HBS knowledge to do good in the world, and scaling up including now with my NGO, the International Coalition Against Illicit Economies (ICAIE), and our upcoming new initiative, Peace Advancement Through Holistic Sustainable Security (PATHS²), ICAIE Foundation. In addition to taking HBSO's Disruptive Strategy course, I also took Sustainable Business Strategy, Global Business, and Mastering Growth. In 2021, I was honored to receive among the first inaugural HBS Certificates on "Specialization in Strategy", having taken at least 3 HBSO specialized course. HBS Online helped me understand how businesses compete and survive by being purpose-driven. Disruptive Strategy, and the three other courses I’ve taken at HBS Online, have helped me become more dynamic in my business operations, enhance value for my partners, harness innovation, and position Luna Global Networks (LGN), and now ICAIE, for new growth, and global leadership through public-private partnerships. Lauren Landry Patrick Mullane V. G. Narayanan https://lnkd.in/dvGbFDz Harvard Business School International Coalition Against Illicit Economies (ICAIE) / ICAIE Labs #HBSO #HBS #leadership #leadershipdevelopment #sustainability #innovation #disruptivestrategy #businessmanagement #entrepreneurship #socialimpact

I am honored to represent ICAIE at the United Nations Headquarters next week in New York City to attend a Peace Innovation Roundtable, organized by UPEACE, University for Peace (UPEACE) - UN Mandated, with co-sponsorship from the Permanent Mission of Costa Rica to the United Nations. At the UPEACE/UN roundtable, I will also unveil ICAIE's plans for our new ICAIE FOUNDATION's Peace Advancement Through Holistic Sustainable Security (PATHS²) initiative. The UPEACE roundtable discussion will focus on defining peace innovation, its community and its capacity, building a peace innovation research agenda, and concretizing the next steps to create a stronger commitment to peace innovation, both within and outside the United Nations. This event will coincide with UN Day 2024. #Peace #Security #Sustainability #ThreatIntelligence #ThreatConvergence #IllicitEconomies #UN #UnitedNations International Coalition Against Illicit Economies (ICAIE) / ICAIE Labs United Nations Association of the National Capital Area

In the coming weeks, I will be discussing more on how foreign threats driven by geopolitical conflict hamper not only peace and sustainable security but also global trade and economic stability around the world. Did you know? The global economy could be exposed to losses of US$14.5 trillion over a five-year period from the threat and ripple effects of geopolitical conflicts causing widespread disruption to global trade patterns and supply chains? This new data is found in a new report published by Lloyd’s. Moreover, with more than 80% of the world’s imports and exports – around 11 billion tons of goods – at sea at any given time, the closure of major trade routes due to a geopolitical conflict is one of the greatest threats to the resources needed for a resilient economy, said Lloyd’s in its Geopolitical Conflict scenario – the fifth installment in its systemic risk series. https://lnkd.in/e2DSD8FZ International Coalition Against Illicit Economies (ICAIE) / ICAIE Labs

How transnational crime, corruption, and insecurity across the Sahel and West Africa have gotten worse since I last spoke about the increasing national security dangers posed by illicit threat networks in Africa before I left the U.S. Department of State in 2017. At a workshop hosted at National Defense University, United States Department of Defense, that year, and some other events in the past decade, I have presented views through a "threat convergence" prism including in Niger in 2020 on the rapidly changing geopolitical and regional security landscapes in the Sahel and the Africa continent. The situation has gotten worse due to an array of violent conflicts, malign influence operations, and swathes of territories in full control by terrorist organizations, criminals, and complicit junta authoritarian leaders. But also missed opportunities by the United States and European allies to help stabilize the region and provide greater trade and investment incentives, and to counter growing Russian, Iranian, and Chinese influence in today's security vacuum. In Morocco in 2014, I emphasized how a "triple threat - corruption, crime, and terrorism- was paving a sub-regional African illicit trafficking corridor that was destabilizing and lead to democratic backsliding. "We must recognize that trans-regional illicit trafficking of drugs, arms, humans, and other illicit trade goods and services, are fueling greater insecurity and instability across Africa." On the governance front (I emphasized), the proceeds of criminal trafficking and illicit trade were fueling a dramatic increase in corruption. The collusion and complicity of some government officials had further helped carve out "a corridor of illicit trafficking that stretches from the West African coast to the Horn of Africa, from North Africa south to the Gulf of Guinea." Today, paramilitary groups, criminal proxies, and reinvigorated extremists groups such Islamic State in the Sahel and the Al-Qaeda-networked Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) have leveraged such insecurity to make the #Sahel and surrounding countries even more dangerous. Military coups have similarly increased democratic backsliding, and greater instability in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. Many of the Sahel illicit threat networks fund themselves by "taxing" local economies, pillaging natural resources, and illicit trafficking of drugs, weapons, counterfeits, illegal cigarettes, cattle, other illicit goods and contraband. Collectively, these bad actors also threaten their Sahel neighbors across #WestAfrica including Benin, Cote d' Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, and Togo, and beyond. On September 16, 2024, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) completed its military withdrawal from Niger. As Sahelian regimes from Burkina Faso to Niger pivot to Russia and China, and with illicit economies and corruption accelerating insecurity, what does the future hold for communities in the region who don't want authoritarian rulers?

I am honored to join senior government ministers and officials from NATO, Canada, US, G7, and other countries, and private sector leaders at the upcoming the Vancouver International Security Summit (VISS), 25-26 November 2024. #VISS 2024 aims to confront the pressing challenges of foreign threats while fortifying economic and political stability. I will be speaking on some of the pressing cross-border US-Canada national security challenges from a threat convergence prism including strategic corruption, organized crime, money laundering, terrorist financing, malign influence operations by authoritarian regimes, and political interference amidst today's global power competition. You can learn more about about #VISS2024 at the conference webpage below. International Coalition Against Illicit Economies (ICAIE) / ICAIE Labs #cybersecurity #illicittrade #GPC #maligninfluence #corruption #moneylaundering #threatintelligence #Ottawa #Montreal #Toronto #Vancouver #Calgary #Edmonton #Quebec

Inner Sanctum Vector N360™ republishes ICAIE report “How Iran’s Threat and Illicit Networks Finance Chaos and Malign Influence to Destabilize U.S. Interests in the Americas and Globally“. The ICAIE policy brief highlights how as Iran is expanding its global security footprint, it poses an existential threat to not only peace and security in the Middle East, but also to strategic American national security interests in Latin America. Iran and Hezbollah have financed their global terrorist campaigns in part through illicit trade and money laundering in the Tri-Border Area to finance chaos in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, and across the Middle East with aims to weaken democracy in Israel and undermine American national interests in the region, and globally. “Iran, through its Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), is undertaking subversive active measures through its embassies, terrorist proxies, and criminal networks in Latin America to destabilize democracies and exert political influence, penetrate markets, and increase sway with corrupt ruling elites” said David Luna, ICAIE’s Executive Director. Similar to its modus operandi in the Middle East of using proxies to advance its geo-security interests and have plausible deniability, Iran leverages proxy power forces in Latin America by “exploiting existing regional weaknesses—such as organized crime networks—to provide Iran with the ‘cover’ needed to pursue its strategic policy in the Americas.” The Iran-financed chaos and malign influence in the Americas also has a geopolitical ripple effect globally, that impacts U.S. national security in other corners of the world. In a vulnerable region where Latin authoritarian regimes increasingly rely on repression, censorship, corruption, and alliances with transnational criminal forces, the deepening partnerships with China, Iran, and Russia accelerate democratic backsliding, economic stagnation, instability, and collapse of the rule of law. Iran’s threat and illicit networks today have advanced an array of malign influence and political interference activities in the Americas intended to harm the United States through multiple military, intelligence, security, diplomatic, and criminal operations. Over the past two decades, Iran and its allies have worked aggressively to expand their activities and influence operations around Latin America. These activities have come under increasing scrutiny since Iran’s support for Islamic militants became a topic of recent international debate, following the Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel on October 7, 2023. ICAIE’s report underscores the need to view Iran’s activities in the Americas through a strategic prism of asymmetrical warfare and gray zones. ICAIE brings together diverse champions across sectors to mobilize energies to combat cross-border illicit threats that endanger U.S. national security, global supply chains, and peace. International Coalition Against Illicit Economies (ICAIE) / ICAIE Labs

Dr. Linda Restrepo thank you for bringing greater attention and awareness across communities on our important work and public-private partnerships at ICAIE on fighting illicit threat networks and threat convergence including the malign influence and criminality of Iranian-backed violent terrorist proxies and their threat finance enablers. #threatintelligence #GPC #grayzone #maligninfluence #corruption International Coalition Against Illicit Economies (ICAIE) / ICAIE Labs

𝗛𝗢𝗪 𝗜𝗥𝗔𝗡’𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗧 𝗡𝗘𝗧𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗞𝗦 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗢𝗦 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗠𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗚𝗡 𝗜𝗡𝗙𝗟𝗨𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘. This weekend, we are proud to present an exclusive feature from 𝐃𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐃 𝐌. 𝐋𝐔𝐍𝐀, CEO of the International Coalition Against Illicit Economies (ICAIE), in an issue of Inner Sanctum Vector N360™. In his powerful report, 𝗛𝗢𝗪 𝗜𝗥𝗔𝗡’𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗧 𝗡𝗘𝗧𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗞𝗦 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗢𝗦 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗠𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗚𝗡 𝗜𝗡𝗙𝗟𝗨𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘, Luna uncovers how 𝗜𝗿𝗮𝗻 and its proxies use 𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 to destabilize 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮 and U.S. national security interests. Through detailed analysis, Luna examines how 𝐇𝐞𝐳𝐛𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐡 and other proxy groups are working to create 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲, financing 𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗺, and expanding 𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗲𝘀. The report provides crucial insight into how 𝐈𝐫𝐚𝐧’𝐬 𝐡𝐲𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐞 tactics manipulate entire regions, with ripple effects felt across the 𝗧𝗿𝗶-𝗕𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗿𝗲𝗮 and Venezuela, amplifying instability and crime. Luna's research also explores Iran’s dangerous alliances with 𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐚 and 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐚, expanding 𝗴𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸𝘀 and further embedding 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 into global markets. From illegal 𝗱𝗿𝘂𝗴 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 to arms smuggling, Luna shows how Iran's network of influence is jeopardizing not just the U.S., but 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗲𝘀. This report is a must-read for anyone concerned with 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲, and the evolving threats in 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐦 and 𝐠𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬. 𝐀𝐭 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐦 𝐕𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐍𝟑𝟔𝟎™, 𝐰𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐲, 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐨𝐩-𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞. 𝐖𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐝 𝐋𝐮𝐧𝐚, 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐮𝐧𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐞. We extend our sincere thanks to David M. Luna 🦏 🌎 🐘 Threat Convergence ≜ Kine-Dynamics for sharing his invaluable expertise and insights with our readers. His work continues to shape critical conversations on illicit networks and global security. Linda Restrepo Editor in Chief Soundtrack: Fair Use Educational: "Enemy" #IllicitTrade #NationalSecurity #DavidLuna #IranThreat #TransnationalCrime #Hezbollah #GeopoliticalRisks #OrganizedCrime #HybridWarfare #LatinAmerica #TriBorderArea #TerroristFinancing #GlobalSecurity #CrimeConvergence #Venezuela

What are the law enforcement impacts related to Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs)? But really, what is a CBDC in the first place? A CBDC is a form of digital currency issued by a country's central bank. It is similar to cryptocurrencies, except that its value is fixed by the central bank and is equivalent to the country's fiat currency. CBDCs are on the horizon. Approximately 130 countries representing 98% of the global economy are now exploring digital versions of their currencies. Some have already launched or are in advanced development. The introduction of CBDCs will not only impact global trade and cross-border commerce but also digital marketplaces and cryptocurrency transactional activities. But what are the impacts to law enforcement communities related to the use of digital currency and the leveraging of innovative technologies to expand ecosystems of criminality and illicit trade? As ICAIE reported recently, there are various CBDC country models that vary in large part on the amount of government control. For example, China has the world’s second largest economy. China is in the process of introducing digital yuan to become its CBDC. The China CBDC model is also designed to intertwine social control and influence behavior. Tracking capital flight, tax collection, and following dirty money trails will be much easier for the governments and other stakeholders involved. Unfortunately, it is also an easy process for the government to “demonetize” and control citizenry as the US Congress has recently debated. Demonetizing those out of favor with authorities can easily be done with a flip of a switch. China's CBDC model appeals to authoritarian regimes and many global elites. https://lnkd.in/dRuK3mNe Other projected types of CBDCs include retail, wholesale, and hybrid. Retail CBDCs are the most widely acknowledged CBDCs and are intended for use by the general public. Retail will directly affect e-commerce, allowing users to make everyday payments and transactions quickly and easily, often with a simple click of a button. Wholesale CBDCs are primarily intended to settle accounts between financial institutions. Hybrid CBDCs are more adaptable, used by both the general public - primarily for large purchases - as well as by financial institutions. As noted above, there are various policy level debates about the adoption of CBDCs in the United States and around the world. Important issues need to be resolved including interoperability between systems, civil liberty and privacy concerns, and the future of fiat currency. Will the traditional paper dollar still be allowed to exist? In short, there are few issues that will affect general populations and commercial concerns more than the adoption of CBDCs. In our upcoming Winter 2024 report, ICAIE will examine policy implications of CBDCs within international trade, finance, law enforcement circles. . . . Stay tuned!

Find below weblink to a new ICAIE Report on "How Russian Surveillance Tech is Reshaping Latin America", by Douglas Farah, ICAIE Senior Advisor, 27 September 2024, to FIU. International Coalition Against Illicit Economies (ICAIE) / ICAIE Labs Over the past decade, Russian-based companies have provided sophisticated surveillance technology to several Latin American countries. These technologies are critical to the survival of the repressive regimes in #Venezuela #Nicaragua #Cuba and possibly criminal nonstate actors that weaken democracy and threaten U.S. national security. The transfer of surveillance technologies and other cyber activities, often run by Russian intelligence officials directly tied to Russia’s state cyber structures, goes beyond traditionally understood gray zone activities. While these technologies empower the region’s most repressive regimes and criminal threat networks, they also give Russia access to key military, law enforcement, and financial data in multiple countries in the Western Hemisphere. Multiple platforms in #LatinAmerica now operate the most sophisticated of these malicious cyber activities under direct Russian state security supervision. These include a high-security military complex in Cerro Mokorón, Nicaragua; the Maduro regime fortress of Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela; and corporate spaces in Chile. Transnational criminal organizations are also acquiring Russian surveillance technology, some of which are advertised on Russian state websites. ICAIE research identified three primary ways Russia is expanding its digital presence in the hemisphere: (1) direct placement and control of technology on the ground, (2) through state and parastate groups that present themselves as private partnerships affiliated with Russian cyber defense, and (3) through companies less visibly linked to the Russian state but led by longtime senior intelligence operatives from the days of the Soviet Union and the fall of the Berlin Wall. The first step in countering Russian cyber networks and outreach in Latin America is to make understanding the scope and methodologies of the adversary a higher policy priority. With a baseline understanding, the United States, through its embassies and selected outreach, should develop an outreach and education program to blunt the progress of Russia’s cyber actors. The lack of understanding of Russian strategic interests in this sphere is compounded by the lack of Russian-language speakers. An important step to counter Russian strategic advances would be to have a small group of Russian-language experts with cyber experience available to allied governments seeking to address these vulnerabilities within their administrations. Finally, the USG should help form public-private partnerships with groups of trusted U.S. cyber experts with knowledge of #Russia who could help the business communities and local IT providers understand and address the strategic challenges raised by Russia’s actions.