Southern Pulse Investigations:

 

Collection:

OSINT – Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) collection is a constant process. Southern Pulse contributing editors review online media every day to collect from in language media sources we then use to formulate our pulses and newsletter. The Southern Pulse OSINT team prepares an average of 70 pulses a week, available on our website via free membership.

For specific engagements, our teams in Managua, Nicaragua and Washington, DC perform OSINT sweeps relevant to a client’s expressed needs to prepare an internal document Southern Pulse uses to inform the preparation of all reports.

Asymmetrical Collection – Southern Pulse maintains a small team of native Spanish and Portuguese speakers who use Google Earth® to pinpoint areas of interest such as street corners, specific addresses, street crossings, physical assets, or a plotted route. From specific GPS coordinates, our asymmetrical collections team conducts spot interviews with anyone and everyone located within a 1-mile radius of the coordinate who may have relevant information. This broad-based collections sweep focuses on unusual suspects such as taxi drivers, small business owners, receptionists, bus drivers, street vendors, and traffic police. The resulting interviews are then collated into an internal document Southern Pulse uses to inform the preparation of all reports.

 

Library – Over the course of several years, Southern Pulse has collected information that has not been used in proprietary reporting. These “clippings” may include photos, interviews, and other information sourced offline that may be used to inform the preparation of all reports.

 

Targeted Source Interview – Southern Pulse existed first as a network, then as a professional services firm. Targeted source interviews tap into the broadest base of the Southern Pulse network, made up of informed individuals in Latin America who have access to information not available online or in the public space. Most sources are concentrated among politicians and their staffers, executive branch bureaucrats such as public prosecutors, corporate attorneys, academics, and journalists. This source list grows every week, as our OSINT team collects names of individuals of interest as they appear in local media sources. The resulting interviews are then collated into an internal document Southern Pulse uses to inform the preparation of all reports.

 

Deployment – Southern Pulse maintains constant contact with nearly two-dozen senior investigators in Latin America. Each individual has previously served a career as a federal-level law enforcement investigator in their country, and through years of working with Southern Pulse they have evolved into highly vetted, trusted operators in the region. Led by project managers based in Mexico City, San Salvador, Bogotá, São Paulo, and Santiago, these individuals form the core of Southern Pulse field operations teams.

 

Site Survey – Southern Pulse field operations teams conduct look and listen collection tasks focused on physical assets, or other targets of specific concern. The resulting photos and voice files are used to inform the preparation of reports, and upon request may be delivered to clients as part of an evidence package.

 

Geolocation - Southern Pulse field operations teams are all equipped with handheld GPS devices and may perform follow and report, or GPS tracking actions. GPS information is then layered over a Google Earth® map to provide clients with an accurate reflection of GPS pinpoints within a specific time window.

Asset Recovery – Southern Pulse field operations teams maintain close contact with trusted law enforcement investigators around the region who have been instrumental in assisting with the recovery of stolen assets. Unraveling the intricacies of organized crime is a Southern Pulse specialty that often results in the discovery of criminal networks embedded in import/export, logistics, shipping, and port authorities across Latin America. We leverage this institutional knowledge to support client decision-making on how and where to ship products into a emerging market or move products safely within cargo theft hotspots. While Southern Pulse does not track cargo, our team is well positioned to help clients understand what happened, who was behind the theft, and, if possible, how to recover their property. Most importantly, our knowledge of criminal systems helps clients understand how to prevent cargo theft events.

 

Evidence Collection – Southern Pulse field operations teams maintain unique access nonpublic sources, maintain relationships with several judicial bodies, and have access to primary source documentation in several countries across the region. Through surveillance, GPS tracking, and other unique sources, Southern Pulse can prepare evidence packages to support legal cases in the United States, the European Union, and several countries in Latin America.

 

Presentation:

Reports - Southern Pulse began as a network developed by an investigative journalist. Our reports are of the highest quality and are thoroughly reviewed before client presentation. More importantly, our reports are sourced from offline collection. When Southern Pulse uses an OSINT source, that information is footnoted.

 

All reports follow standard templates, which include an executive summary, a discussion section, and considerations for additional investigation. Appended supporting materials are determined by the nature of the engagement.

 

Interactive Map - Almost all Southern Pulse reports include an interactive map that presents a visual interpretation of information most relevant to the client’s interest or need. All Southern Pulse maps are prepared on Google Earth®, and are made available via secure link on the Southern Pulse website. Static map presentations may be included with reports, if necessary or specifically requested.

 

Follow Up – As a courtesy, Southern Pulse is available for a follow up discussion to address a series of questions to clarify or sharpen information. Questions are limited to the specific engagement; any questions beyond the specific engagement are separate and should be considered for a second-phase engagement.

 

Oral Briefing - Clients may request that Southern Pulse prepare an oral briefing of the findings of a strategic or tactical investigation. Briefings are often 45 minutes or less, and include an audio-visual element to present an executive summary of key findings and considerations for further investigation. The oral briefing may then be followed by a 60-minute or less question and answer session when clients have an opportunity to talk through the investigation and explore solutions and/or pathways for further investigation.

 

Relationship Brokering – Due to our exclusive focus on Latin America over a 14-year period, Southern Pulse has developed relationships that reach the highest levels of government, police, military, and business – across several sectors. Upon client request, Southern Pulse endeavors to locate a local partner to support client activities in country. Brokered relationships may include but are not limited to: business partners, investors, political allies, ongoing security support for executive protection or secure transport, or strategic relationships that support an ongoing decision-making process.

 

Ongoing Support – Often times, clients require ongoing collection and reporting support to maintain situational awareness of target movements, of strategic considerations, such as political stability or organized criminal activity, or of items specific to a client’s ongoing needs to remain well informed of ground truth. Southern Pulse OSINT teams and field operations teams may be organized to provide ongoing support tailored to the client’s needs, with reporting on a weekly, biweekly, or monthly schedule.