Historically, Latin America and the European Union have emphasized soft power strategies via a strong commitment to international standards, principles, and values. Ongoing shifts in the global and regional geopolitical contexts and changes in their respective security frameworks pose challenges to cross-regional cooperation in international security that require new and innovative solutions in the face of rapidly evolving criminal organizations. The illicit drug trade has undergone a significant transformation in recent decades, with ever more sophisticated organizations (that also expand into other illegal activities such as firearms trafficking and are increasingly connected to organizations associated with terrorist activities) becoming the main challenge to police forces, intelligence services, and judicial systems. There is a need to address shared challenges in security and justice to build an effective partnership between criminal justice frameworks in both regions, at political and operational levels, to tackle the growing challenge of international organized crime that proactively exploits state gaps and vacuums in inter-regional cooperation.