Coercive Capital with Elaine Dezenski

How did the Chinese Communist Party build near-total control over the world’s most critical battery inputs? And how can the U.S. respond before it’s too late?

Josh Birenbaum of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) joins Elaine Dezenski on Coercive Capital to discuss their new report which breaks down the CCP’s strategic capture of the global battery supply chain—and outline what it will take for the United States to regai...

From the jungles of Mindanao to the back alleys of Damascus, Tom Sanderson has gathered intelligence the hard way. This episode of Coercive Capital is a behind-the-scenes look at the realities of global risk, drawn from firsthand encounters in conflict zones worldwide.

Host Elaine Dezenski and Sanderson explore:

The role of fieldwork in modern intelligence

How proxy networks and non-state actors shape today’s power landscape

The blin...

In Episode 13 of Coercive Capital, host Elaine Dezenski is joined by Behnam Ben Taleblu, Senior Director of FDD’s Iran Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and an expert on Iranian security and sanctions. They explore the cost and consequences of confronting the Islamic Republic—from the legacy of the U.S. “maximum pressure” campaign to the internal economic crises gripping Iran’s ruling regime. As nuclear diplomacy...

When the Kuwaiti government wanted to track down Saddam Hussein’s stolen assets, in 2003, who did they call? Or the public funds amassed by kleptocrats like Ferdinand Marcos and “Baby Doc” Duvalier? Negotiating kidnapping cases in Brazil and exposing digital criminals in Japan? Corporate malfeasance? Info Leaks? Workplace investigations? You get the idea. His name is Jules Kroll, and his name is synonymous with the private investig...

Among the dizzying number of executive orders, tariff negotiations, and Doge activity since the inauguration, the America First Investment Policy requires a specific focus to better understand the potential impact on foreign investment in the United States, from both allies and hostile nations.

Nova J. Daly is a Senior Public Policy Advisor at Wiley Rein, LLP. He formerly served in the Treasury Department as the Deputy Assistant Sec...

From smuggling and trafficking to cyber fraud and trade-based money laundering, the illicit economy is estimated to represent more than $2 trillion of illegal activity annually.  And the international criminal networks that drive the illicit economy have continued to evolve and grow more sophisticated with every operation. This shadow economy is massive and its real-life consequences are widespread resulting in deaths by overdose, ...

Foreign adversaries’ weaponization of information is nothing new. Still, the means and modes by which rogue nations use disinformation, propaganda, and cyber-attacks to influence American public opinion are increasingly worrisome – weakening democracy, weaponizing free speech, and polarizing citizens in ways they may not recognize - like in Russia, Iran and China where governments have built a global apparatus sowing discord and a ...

Transnational kleptocracy describes how corrupt rulers steal public funds and then launder those funds within the international financial system. It's accomplished by moving those funds from fragile states to “safer” jurisdictions—like the U.S.

Many of America’s foreign adversaries operate as kleptocracies and cutting off their illicit financial flows weakens their impact on free and open societies across the globe.

Anti-corruption o...

The evolution and modernization of how we manage and protect identity has moved into a new era. More than two decades after the tragic events of 9/11- when 19 hijackers used falsified identity documents to board planes, US travelers over the age of 18 will now be required to present a REAL ID compliant form of identification to board an aircraft, or access certain types of federal facilities Identity verification is also at the cor...

Sanctions enforcement is at the forefront of modern economic statecraft and the challenges are escalating. As governments confront increasingly-sophisticated evasion tactics and geopolitical challenges, the need for robust collaboration with the private sector has never been greater. Whether focusing on the latest sanctions targeting Russian financial institutions and tracing their impact on global financial networks, or examining ...

Reading the tea leaves of the US-China relationship is challenging, even in times of relative calm. From anticipating supply chain disruptions and the risk of military conflict... to considering the impact of tariffs and how the US banking sector’s assessment of doing business in China may diverge from the US government's prevailing view.... understanding and managing the risks for US companies doing business in China is no small t...

In this episode of Coercive Capital, Elaine Dezenski hosts David Rader, Senior Advisor at the Office of the Secretary of Defense and Adjunct Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies along with Wes Spurlock, Senior Advisor and Co-Founder of the Office of Strategic Capital at the Department of Defense and a former U.S. Air Force Military Officer. They discuss the supply chain economics of the Department of Defense, adversa...

In the 1970s, corruption in the U.S was often not considered a problem. Or it was viewed as a problem that happened “over there”.... in other parts of the world. But in retrospect, the reality and our perception of corruption has changed.   And even though anti-corruption legislation like the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act was implemented to help combat the issue, corruption continues and grows in ways that no one could have predict...

The ongoing fentanyl crisis in America shows few signs of abating. Roughly 200 people per day, more than 75,000 Americans per year, lose their lives due to fentanyl use. But how do we stem the tide?  Looking through a financial and national security lens to follow the money, Coercive Capital host Elaine Dezenski and Ray Donovan, a 28-year veteran of the DEA, serving as its Head of Operations, and a leading voice on the matter take ...

In the debut episode of Coercive Capital, Elaine Dezenski hosts Juan Zarate, who served as the Deputy National Security Advisor for Counterterrorism in the George W. Bush administration and is also the Co-Founder and Chairman of the Center on Economic and Financial Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. In a wide-ranging discussion, Elaine and Juan discuss today’s economic security landscape, America’s complex and vuln...

Coercive Capital explores the intersection of U.S. economic and national security and global financial reform. Global adversaries are weaponizing our trade and financial systems, while Illicit financial flows, kleptocracy, and organized crime continue to erode democratic systems and destabilize economies. Elaine Dezenski brings together experts who understand these emerging threats and provide insights into the risks and emerging o...