Transnational Threats

The threat from regional terrorist groups and domestic extremist individuals is omnipresent. CSIS provides strategic thinking on the range of efforts to counter terrorist groups and their methods across the world.

Photo: Cambodian Government/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images

Photo: Cambodian Government/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images

From Fraud to the Frontlines: Scam Centers Caught in the Cambodia-Thailand Conflict

In December 2025, Thailand struck Cambodian casino and hotel complexes, which it says were scam centers being used by the military. Though contested, the strikes show how a border dispute and transnational crime have become intertwined.

Critical Questions by Julia Dickson and Japhet Quitzon — January 15, 2026

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Seth G. Jones

Seth G. Jones

President, Defense and Security Department; Harold Brown Chair
Daniel Byman

Daniel Byman

Director, Warfare, Irregular Threats, and Terrorism Program
Riley McCabe

Riley McCabe

Associate Fellow, Warfare, Irregular Threats, and Terrorism Program
Joel Coito

Joel Coito

Military Fellow, Defense and Security Department

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Why Did the United States Conduct Strikes in Nigeria?

Isolated strikes like the ones carried out by the United States are unlikely to significantly reduce the terrorist threat in the region or reverse Nigeria’s growing insecurity.

Critical Questions by Alexander Palmer and Erin Oppel — December 26, 2025

Ghost Busters: Options for Breaking Russia’s Shadow Fleet

Countering Russia’s ghost fleet requires more than sanctions. A coordinated strategy using open-source intelligence, maritime law, and multilateral diplomacy can impose real costs on illicit trade networks fueling Moscow’s war—without escalating military conflict.

Commentary by Benjamin Jensen and Jose M. Macias III — December 15, 2025

Taking on Cyber Scams: Ideas for Congress

Nearly three-quarters of Americans have experienced some kind of online scam, but 68 percent of Americans believe the federal government is doing a poor job stopping them. To chart a new path, Congress must deliver real protections for U.S. citizens.

Commentary by Julia Dickson and Emma Gargiulo — December 4, 2025

USS Ford arrives in the Caribbean: Will It Strike or Stand Down?

With the redeployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford, the U.S. naval presence in the Caribbean reaches a level unseen since the Cold War. The aircraft carrier’s arrival suggests a shift from a campaign against drug smugglers to one that includes undermining the Maduro regime. 

Analysis by Mark F. Cancian and Chris H. Park — November 13, 2025

Pentagon Announces a New Counternarcotics Task Force in the Caribbean

CSIS Americas Program experts explain the significance of the Department of Defense’s establishment of a new Counternarcotics Task Force and consider how this reflects the Trump administration’s national security priorities.

Critical Questions by Ryan C. Berg, Christopher Hernandez-Roy, Henry Ziemer, Rubi Bledsoe, and Isabel Teran — October 23, 2025