Peru formalizes adhesion to Shield of the Americas after Rubio meeting

Peru has formally joined the Shield of the Americas initiative following a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Rubio highlighted that transnational criminal organizations exploit cross-border banking and financial networks, underscoring the initiative's focus on countering illicit finance. This marks a concrete expansion of U.S.-led hemispheric security cooperation, though specific commitments and implementation details remain unclear.