Strategic partnerships: Europol boosts cooperation with Latin America

On 7 March 2025, Europol welcomed ministerial delegations from the Latin American Committee for Internal Security (CLASI) to its headquarters in The Hague. The visit marked the final day of the delegates’ official tour, following two days of high-level meetings in Brussels on the margins of the Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Council on 5 March. Facilitated through the EU-funded EL PACCTO 2.0 project, the visit was aimed at strengthening cooperation between Latin American law enforcement authorities and Europol, enhancing strategic dialogue on tackling security threats such as organised crime and terrorism.

Strengthening EU-Latin American cooperation

Established in March 2022, CLASI plays a key role in coordinating efforts to combat serious and organised cross-border crime in Latin America. CLASI is supported by the EU-funded EL PACCTO 2.0 project, which aims to enhance security and justice in Latin America by supporting efforts to combat transnational organised crime. EL PACCTO 2.0 addresses the entire criminal chain through three key components: police, justice and the penitentiary system.

Europol’s engagement with CLASI aligns with its commitment to supporting international cooperation against transnational crime. Several CLASI member countries, including Colombia, Chile, Ecuador and Mexico, already have agreements with Europol, and CLASI provides a framework for further strategic commitment. Just this week, the EU and Brazil signed an international agreement to fight organised crime and terrorism, which enables the exchange of operational information between Europol and Brazil. The initiative is endorsed by the EU Council, the European External Action Service and the European Commission. This visit focused on aligning Latin American security efforts with EMPACT to improve coordination in addressing common security challenges.

Europol’s Executive Director, Catherine De Bolle, underscored the importance of this collaboration: 

Today, it is of great importance that the EU fosters an even higher level of cooperation with the countries of Latin America. Organised crime is truly global – we see it in every aspect of our work. Europol is fully dedicated to deepening our collaboration with our Latin American partners, ensuring that intelligence sharing, strategic coordination and joint operations continue to evolve in response to the growing common challenges that we currently face.

Addressing common security challenges 

Discussions highlighted key security concerns, including the resilience of ports and other entry points, which are critical in the fight against serious and organised crime. Both Europe and Latin America face common threats such as drug trafficking, trafficking of weapons and explosives, cybercrime, organised property crime and financial and environmental crime. Criminal networks continue to exploit the digital age, legislative loopholes and border vulnerabilities, underscoring the need for a unified approach. As this visit marks the second CLASI delegation to Europol since 2022, it is a testament to the growing partnership between the European Union and Latin America on security matters. Europol remains committed to strengthening coordination, joint efforts and responses to emerging security threats, recognising that cross-border crime cannot be tackled in isolation.