Brazil says it is creating an intelligence center with Argentina and Paraguay to combat money laundering and smuggling along their shared borders.
In a statement issued Tuesday, Brazil's Foreign Ministry said the center is set to open in the coming weeks in a city, Foz do Iguacu, in the so-called tri-border region.
The ministry said creation of the intelligence unit is part of an agreement between the three Latin American nations and the United States.
U.S. officials have repeatedly expressed concern that the tri-border region may be used for fundraising for Islamic extremists outside the area.
Some information for this report was Reuters.