On September 22, 2025, the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies launched the in-residence phase of its Combating Transnational Organized Crime: Borderlands (CTOC-B) course, directed by Perry Center Professor Celina Realuyo. The one-week program brings together civilian and military officials from across the Americas and representatives from across the US government to examine the security and defense challenges facing border regions in the hemisphere.

Sydney Knapp (right) and CDR (ret.) Driggs (left) set the stage for a group exercise during the workshop.

The course addresses how illicit networks exploit migration flows, contraband, narcotics trafficking, arms smuggling, and the risks of terrorist infiltration. Through case studies and a group exercise, participants will evaluate current strategies and design innovative approaches to strengthen governance, improve interagency collaboration, and counter transnational organized crime along maritime and land boundaries.

The CTOC-B course builds on the Countering Malign Influence (CMI) workshop, which began on September 17 under the direction of Perry Center Research Associate Sydney Knapp. Over three days, participants studied how the People’s Republic of China and other malign actors expand their influence through hybrid warfare in the cyber, maritime, and economic domains. Expert-led sessions and case studies on critical infrastructure, financial coercion, and maritime insecurity equipped participants with practical tools to assess hybrid tactics, develop countermeasures, and strengthen regional defense cooperation.