By, Jesús Romero. Co-Founder & Senior Fellow, MSI² In the recent history of Venezuelan aviation, two air crashes have raised more questions than answers: that of the Learjet 25D, tail number YV-3191 (2017), and the Citation I, tail number YV-3217 (2025). Both executive jets departed from Simón...
By, Octavio Perez, Senior Fellow | MSI2 The SS-UAV, also known as Jiu Tan (High Sky or Nine Heavens) or Jiutian Xuannu—the Goddess of War, Sex, and Longevity—will undergo flight testing in June 2025. This massive drone, capable of flying up to 7,000 km and weighing more than...
By, Jose Adan Gutierrez, Senior Fellow, MSI² Pancho Villa allegedly used to say, “Ánimo muchachos, que más adelante está más feo” (‘Chin up, boys—things only get uglier from here’), a warning that seems fitting for Mexico’s current political and social trajectory. I. Introduction: A Crisis Beneath the Surface Mexico...
By, Octavio Perez, Senior Fellow | MSI2 Between June 1 and June 3, 2025, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) executed two significant strikes against the Russian Federation. These actions occurred amidst ongoing third-level negotiations between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul, Turkey. The first strike took place on June 1, when...
By, Jaime (Jim) González, Senior Fellow, Analytical Tradecraft SME The victory of President Daniel Noboa in Ecuador this year is of profound significance, particularly in the context of the country's strategic defense alignment with the United States. Following the invocation of the muerte cruzada constitutional mechanism and the...
By, Jose Adan Gutierrez, Senior Fellow, MSI² I. Introduction: The war against Mexico’s powerful drug cartels entered a volatile new phase in 2025. With the Trump Administration’s designation of major cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs), bilateral tensions have sharpened, and tactical approaches have shifted (White House...
By, Jesús Romero. Co-Founder & Senior Fellow, MSI² Introduction: As U.S. sanctions tighten their grip on Venezuela’s oil sector, most notably with the expiration of Chevron’s license, Beijing is positioning itself to capitalize on Washington’s retreat. With over $60 billion in outstanding loans extended to the Maduro...
By, Jesús Romero. Co-Founder & Senior Fellow, MSI² Introduction: Ukraine’s recent attack on multiple Russian air bases was not merely a tactical victory—it was a strategic earthquake that could redefine the war in Europe. In the early hours of June 1, 2025, Ukraine launched 'Operation Spiderweb': a...
By, Jesús Romero. Co-Founder & Senior Fellow, MSI² I. Executive Summary: This white paper draws critical strategic and historical parallels between the 1973 Paris Peace Accords, which ended U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, and today’s U.S.-led negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. Drawing on firsthand negotiation experience with...
By, Jesús Romero. Co-Founder & Senior Fellow, MSI² Executive Summary: Anthony Fabian Marín La Torre, aka “Propiedad,” is a Venezuelan contract killer implicated in multiple homicides. After reportedly being arrested by Zulia State Police in September 2022, he surfaced in the United States just 16 days later—illegally...