Teams linked to EI emerge in Latin America

The deputy head of the Russian Central Intelligence Division, Vice Admiral Igor Kostiukov, denounced the emergence in Latin America of jihadist coaching camps and that Islamic extremists linked to the Islamic State (IS) and Al Qaeda function within the area.

“New threat elements embody the emergence within the area of coaching camps and jihadist shelters,” stated Kostiukov, in line with RT.

In accordance with the Russian vice-admiral, extremists linked to those terrorist organizations “recruit fighters to swell their ranks within the Center East and North Africa, increase the mandatory monetary funds for this and promote extremist ideology” in Latin America.

In 2018, Dmitri Feoktístov, who at the moment was the deputy director of the Division of New Challenges and Threats of the Russian Ministry of Overseas Affairs, warned that the Islamic State was intensifying its efforts to create “reserve positions” in areas of the world, together with Latin America. He expressed his concern about “the intensification of the recruitment actions of extremists,” particularly in Caribbean international locations “the place there’s a excessive proportion of residents who profess Islam.”

In 2017, Feoktístov famous that Latin American international locations “may very well be used as a transit zone within the complicated smuggling route schemes” of the IS.