CDR José Adán Gutiérrez, USN (Ret.), is a retired U.S. Navy Commander with more than three decades of experience in intelligence, defense, national security, and strategic affairs across the Western Hemisphere. He serves as Senior Fellow and Senior Analyst at the Miami Strategic Intelligence Institute (MSI²), where his work focuses on strategic competition, hemispheric security, geopolitical dynamics, and the evolving influence of external powers in the Americas.
During his military career, CDR Gutiérrez held several pioneering assignments, including serving as the first Director of Intelligence (N2) for the Western Hemisphere Group and the first U.S. Naval Attaché to Panama. These roles involved intelligence integration, defense cooperation, regional security, and strategic engagement across Latin America and the Caribbean.
Following his military service, he transitioned to the private sector, where he led strategic defense and security initiatives and multimillion-dollar business development programs throughout Latin America. He currently serves as Principal Consultant at Rafael Marrero & Company, advising organizations on strategic development and federal contracting throughout the region.
His work examines U.S.–Latin American relations, national security, geopolitical competition, hemispheric security, and the strategic influence of China in the Western Hemisphere.
Geopolitics, U.S.–Latin American Relations, Western Hemisphere Security, National Security, Strategic Competition, Intelligence, Defense Cooperation, China’s Influence, Economic Statecraft
