The Tri-Border Area (TBA), where Paraguay shares both water and land borders with Brazil and Argentina, is a hub for money laundering and transnational smuggling. Given our shared interests with the TBA countries in strengthening border security and combatting transnational organized crime, INL supports counter-narcotics and rule of law efforts that strengthen police, prosecutors, and judges’ abilities to combat pervasive corruption and cross-border crime. U.S. Embassies in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay laud INL assistance as a critical tool to support our allies in the fight against drug cartels, corruption, and financial crime that threatens U.S. security and economic interests. INL’s modest investments in the Southern Cone pay major security dividends via a unique model of cost-shared foreign assistance in which INL provides U.S. criminal justice and counter-narcotics expertise while partner countries fund domestic costs for trainings.