Good Morning. 

Elon Musk held a secret meeting with Iran's UN ambassador to discuss reducing tensions between Iran and the U.S., Amnesty International reports French military tech in UAE vehicles being used in Sudan's civil war, a cyberattack on grocery giant Ahold Delhaize disrupted U.S. operations across multiple store chains, a Russian man faces treason charges for allegedly sending military equipment footage to Ukraine, and Haiti's gangs are expanding into the last remaining strongholds in Port-au-Prince.

Let’s dive in.

— 🐈‍⬛ Acoustic Kitty

China's Strategic Playbook Displaces U.S. Power in Latin America

• China has surpassed the United States as the dominant trading partner in most Latin American economies, with $286B in regional projects including infrastructure, mining, and technology investments across the region.

• The U.S. government's focus on immigration and narcotics issues, rather than economic engagement, has created opportunities for China to strengthen its influence through infrastructure programs, trade agreements, and strategic partnerships.

• Despite maintaining higher favorability ratings than China in key Latin American nations, U.S. policy limitations and reduced engagement have allowed China to capitalize on opportunities, exemplified by cases like Panama's $1.4B bridge project being awarded to Chinese companies after U.S. disinterest.

Counterterrorism

• Elon Musk held a secret meeting with Iran's UN ambassador to discuss reducing tensions between Iran and the U.S., according to Iranian officials. ➚

• The FBI arrested a 28-year-old Houston man for allegedly supporting ISIS and planning potential terrorist attacks on U.S. soil. ➚

• Kim Jong Un has ordered mass production of suicide drones after supervising recent tests, amid growing military cooperation with Russia. ➚

Military & Defense

• Amnesty International reports French military tech in UAE vehicles being used in Sudan's civil war, violating a UN embargo. ➚

• Russia claims capture of two more eastern Ukrainian settlements, though Ukraine disputes the advances. ➚

• Six Israeli soldiers were killed in Lebanon combat, marking Israel's deadliest day against Hezbollah. ➚

• A new study suggests that Sudan war deaths exceed 61K in Khartoum state alone, far higher than prior estimates. ➚

Cybersecurity

• A cyberattack on grocery giant Ahold Delhaize disrupted U.S. operations across multiple store chains, forcing the company to take systems offline. ➚

• A Microsoft Power Pages misconfiguration risks exposing sensitive data through improper access controls. ➚

• Russian hackers exploited a newly discovered Windows NTLM vulnerability to target Ukrainian government entities with RAT malware. ➚

Counterintelligence & Espionage

• A Russian man faces treason charges for allegedly sending military equipment footage to Ukraine, while already serving time for burning a Quran. ➚

• Trump's nomination of Tulsi Gabbard as intelligence chief sparks concern among security experts due to her perceived pro-Russia stance and lack of intelligence experience. ➚

Transnational Organized Crime

• Haiti's gangs are expanding into the last remaining strongholds in Port-au-Prince, forcing residents to flee from the Solino and Nazon neighborhoods. ➚

• Dozens were indicted in NYC over gang warfare that killed four bystanders and sparked 18 shootings in upper Manhattan neighborhoods. ➚

• U.S. Ambassador criticized Mexico for rejecting security cooperation and downplaying drug cartel violence, particularly in Sinaloa state. ➚

• Post-election violence in Mozambique disrupts regional trade and forces border closures, prompting SADC leaders to meet in Harare to address the crisis. ➚

The America Builds podcast sits at the nexus of national security, technology, and venture capital. Hosts Will Allen and Hayley Menser interview the brilliant operators and investors pushing the boundaries of frontier technology.