Fiji, Oct. 30 -- The United States is looking to connect its law enforcement operations in the Pacific with expertise and investigations in South Asia as criminal networks expand across the Indo-Pacific, U.S Assistant Secretary of State Cartwright Weiland says.

Weiland said the United States was examining possible links between criminal networks targeted by its RIPTIDE initiative and drug trafficking networks operating in South Asia.

He said the connections between South Asia and global drug markets were still becoming clearer, but US authorities were aware of Chinese-based money laundering networks and links to Latin American criminal groups.

"We're already working with essentially every law enforcement agency in the Pacific, but INL ...