Following the Money in the Age of Irregular Conflict

𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘁 Irregular conflict is rarely sustained by ideology or firepower alone. It endures because money moves—quietly and persistently—through legal systems, gray markets, and global financial networks that mask intent long before violence appears. Threat networks understand a simple truth: money is power. It buys loyalty, corrupts institutions, and allows adversaries to adapt faster than traditional […]

Irregular Warfare Leadership in the Age of Old Truths and New Tools

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗪𝗮𝗿 Irregular warfare has never been about who owns the most advanced tools — it’s about who understands people, legitimacy, and time. From Lawrence of Arabia to Mao to Michael Collins, the most effective leaders shaped outcomes without holding traditional battlefields. They won by influencing belief, fragmenting authority, and turning patience into a weapon. Today, that […]

Transnational Organized Crime & Its Effects on America

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗼 𝗪𝗮𝗿 Transnational organized crime isn’t a distant threat — it’s a hemisphere-wide system built on agility, innovation, and relentless adaptation. From coca fields in the Andes to fentanyl labs in Mexico to financial hubs in New York, this enterprise operates less like a cartel in the shadows and more like a multinational corporation in motion. […]

All-Domain Irregular Warfare: A Framework for Modern Strategic Competition

The modern battlefield no longer begins with a declaration of war — and it rarely ends with one. Across land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace, adversaries are waging a quiet, coordinated campaign of pressure and persuasion. This is All-Domain Irregular Warfare (ADIW) — the fusion of influence, deception, and disruption across every domain to erode resolve, fracture alliances, and win […]

Shadows in the Age of Sensors: The HUMINT Struggle Against Ubiquitous Surveillance

The battlefield has changed — and so has espionage. From AI-powered surveillance grids to biometric tracking and behavioral analytics, the modern HUMINT operator fights not just in the shadows, but under constant observation. In this era of total visibility, innovation isn’t optional — it’s survival. In “Shadows in the Age of Sensors,” author Sal Artiaga explores how human intelligence must […]