On the fourteenth of November, Perry Center professor Celina Realuyo participated in an international forum hosted by the Institute of Strategic Research of the Mexican Navy (ININVESTAM), part of the Mexican Center for Superior Naval Studies (CESNAV), in Mexico City titled “Transnational Threats and their Regional Implications.” The event was part of an academic exchange between the two institutions and focused on the issues of terrorism, organized crime and cybersecurity.

During the first portion of the program, Professor Realuyo gave a presentation titled “The Convergence of Terrorism and Organized Crime.” This presentation detailed the challenges of a new global security environment where the lines between terrorism and organized crime are blurred, the risks and threats posed by this phenomenon, and implications for the future. Professor Realuyo’s presentation was followed by two others from Rear Admiral Martín Enrique Barney Montalvo and ININVESTAM analyst and CESNAV professor Jesús de Miguel Sebastián discussing transnational criminal groups operating in Mexico and models for strengthening Mexican national security. Afterward, Professor Realuyo closed the first part of the day with a final presentation about US strategies against organized crime.

The second part of the event on cybersecurity opened with a presentation by Dr. Emilio Vizarretea Rosales who spoke on the topic of “Cyber ​​intelligence and Cybersecurity; Challenges and Solutions.” ININVESTAM professor Francisco Quintero Mármol closed the forum with his presentation “Cyberspace as a Tool of Organized Crime,” in which he explained the ways organized crime has taken advantage of the evolving cyber domain and the challenges that security forces face in countering these threats.

The forum was attended by more than 100 students, professors and officials from ININVESTAM/CESNAV and the Mexican Naval Academy, as well as representatives of the United States Embassy in Mexico, and provided participants with an opportunity to dialogue and gather important insights and information to use as they work together toward a more stable, cooperative security environment in Mexico and the region.