Decoding Violence: The Structure and Influence of Colombian Cartels

Colombia is rich in culture, history, and natural beauty. For decades, however, it has been plagued by the scourge of drug trafficking and organized crime. Cartels, terrorists, militias, and paramilitary groups led decades of violence and instability that have impacted the lives of millions, and of a nation. In this episode, Enrico Dal Cine joins Arnold Koch to delve into the origins and current landscape of drug cartels in Colombia, looking into the current key players, their tactics, and what Colombian society and government do to combat them.

In our time, information is power, and artificial intelligence can become a great tool to improve our use and of information, but also to manipulate it. The increasing role of AI-enabled tools that blur the distinction between reality and fiction is worrisome, and AI-driven disinformation may be reshaping our understanding of truth. Can the electoral and democratic processes that we engage in our daily lives could be threatened by the use of AI? How do threat actors actually employ it? Who is behind disinformation campaigns on social media platforms? In this episode, Janthe Van Schaik joins Arnold Koch to help us uncover the dynamics of AI disinformation campaigns, the tools used by threat actors, and what we can do to counter them.

The 2024 Olympics are less than three months away, and the international context is as tense as ever.  Terrorism, lone wolves, and cyber attacks are just some of the many security concerns for such a large, international sports event. When discussing security in the Olympics, it is inevitable to think about the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. On that occasion, 11 Israeli athletes and coaches, and a West German police officer were killed by Palestinian Black September terrorists. More than 50 years later, the Israeli-Palestinian issue is again at the center of the global stage, along with the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. In this episode, Victoire Tissinié and Siddesh Shimpukade join Arnold Koch to help us explore the intelligence failures of the past, the lessons learned, and what threats to watch for the upcoming 2024 Olympics.

North Korea’s policy-making is an ambiguous and shady domain. Little information on the domestic reality of the country filters to the outside world, but the impacts of Pyongyang’s foreign policy on regional - and global - security need to be uncovered. In early 2024, North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, announced that the objective of “reunification” with South Korea is no longer considered possible. More than 70 years after the end of the Korean war in 1953, which formally divided the two states, a significant shift in the North’s policies towards the South could have a wider meaning for the region. In this episode, Samuel Pearson and Siddesh Shimpukade join Arnold Koch to provide us with a deeper understanding of the hidden nuances of the Korean peninsula’s security dynamics, with an eye to the potential threats of tomorrow. 

On this episode of the Threat Intelligence Podcast with Derrick T. Dortch, Dr. Richard J. Chasdi, a renowned scholar of terrorism and counterterrorism will be talking about his book and the topic of Corporate Security Surveillance. Dr. Chasdi is a Professorial Lecturer at George Washington University, a Senior Fellow at the Global Peace Institute in London, and an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research in Singapore. He has published extensively on these topics, including four books and numerous articles and book chapters. 

Great powers look increasingly Eastward. The perception of Chinese ambitions - and threats - in the Indo-Pacific has led the US, UK, and Australia to form the AUKUS partnership in 2021. A strategic defense alliance that includes the joint development of cutting-edge military systems, including nuclear ones, and joint programs on emerging sectors including quantum technologies, deep space, and AI. But AUKUS goes beyond the domain of tactics and operations. Talks about Japan joining the alliance have animated recent analyses. What could Tokyo bring to the AUKUS table? In this episode, Agathe Labadi and Mrinmoy Routh join Arnold Koch to provide us with a deeper understanding of the alliance, helping us understand the operational and strategic dynamics of the AUKUS deal and what comes next for the Indo-Pacific region.

In this episode, host Derrick T. Dortch talks with Cara, a former Counterterrorism Group (CTG) Watch Officer who now works as an open-source intelligence (OSINT) investigator focused on conflict and political dynamics in West Africa. Cara shares her experiences dealing with mental health challenges related to her work as an intelligence analyst. Her challenges are common in the intelligence sector but oftentimes not discussed.  In her work at CTG and other places, Cara was routinely exposed to traumatic images and videos in the course of her counterterrorism analysis work. Over time, this constant exposure to graphic, disturbing content takes a psychological toll. The intelligence community (government, military and private/NGO sector) often promotes a "suck it up" attitude and stigmatizes seeking mental health support. Analysts fear that admitting to psychological struggles could jeopardize their career opportunities. Resources exist but are limited and geared more towards those who experience direct trauma from deployments. Cara shares how and why she is an advocate for mental health in the career field of intelligence analysis. She urges the intelligence community to invest more in the mental health of its workforce. Cara transitioned to her current OSINT role after completing a Master's in Terrorism and Security Studies in 2023. Her insights shed much-needed light on a critical challenge affecting many intelligence professionals today.

This episode of the Threat Intelligence Podcast with your host Derrick T. Dortch focuses on the National Hurricane Center’s experimental update on the Cone of Uncertainty storm tracking tool set to launch in August 2024. Jennifer Radlinsky and Jayde Dorland from the Counterterrorism Group’s Emergency Management, Health, and Hazards (EMH2) and Counter Threat Strategic Communications (CTSC) teams discuss the importance and benefits of the tool while exploring the dangers of misinformation circulating serious weather events and the best practices to access legitimate information during critical events.

Haiti is undergoing one of the biggest crises in its history. A tragedy of violence, hunger, and instability has engulfed the country in large civil unrest, perpetuating its status as the poorest state in Latin America and the Caribbean region. But what are the origins of this crisis? In order to understand where Haiti is heading, we need to assess what led to the violence, and what role, if any, other countries played in the country's history. In this episode, Samuel Pearson and Eamon Kobel join Arnold Koch to help us gain a comprehensive understanding of Haiti's history and the social, political, and economic issues that have led to massive turmoil.

In this episode of the Threat Intelligence Podcast, Arnold Koka joins the team as a new host alongside Derrick T. Dortch, focusing on various cyber espionage threats that The Counter Terrorism Group has been tracking.  Cyber espionage is an increasingly hot topic. Who spies, how, and why? The United States and the United Kingdom have recently imposed sanctions against Chinese companies and individuals accused of being involved in a large cyber espionage campaign that allegedly targeted millions of lawmakers, academics, journalists, and businesses. But how do we navigate the realm of digital espionage? In this episode, Janthe Van Schaik and Mihai Marian Calinoiu help us understand the tangible dynamics of cyber espionage, offering us a better look into best practices for the public and private sectors.