As part of our SFS State-based National Security effort, the Texas Program aims to provide the Lone Star State with a geopolitical and global understanding of transnational and transregional threats stemming from Latin America and the Caribbean.
At the helm is our first SFS State-based Senior Fellow, Dr. David Grantham who specializes in studying third-generation gangs, immigration security, counter-transnational organized crime, and counterterrorism. Read more about Dr. Grantham in his bio here.
Why Texas?
Texas has the second-largest GDP of any state in the union. It is home to some of America’s most critical warfighting capabilities and is the only state with a semi-independent electrical grid. Moreover, Texas is home to six of the top ten trading ports with Mexico, America’s second-largest trade partner. These facts alone make Texas critical to U.S. national security. These same facts make the Lone Star State a prime target for America’s adversaries around the world.
Our program aims to alert state and local policymakers and the public in Texas about the transregional threats looming south of the border. We provide educational resources and high-level briefings to Texas officials and authorities on how external state actors (Russia, Iran, China) are destabilizing Latin American and the Caribbean and explain why this is causing serious long-term problems for Texas.
