Professional Affiliation

Founder and CEO, Lazarus Consulting

Expert Bio

Leland Lazarus is a 2026–2027 Wilson Center Research Fellow. 

Lazarus is the Founder and CEO of Lazarus Consulting LLC, an international geopolitical risk firm specializing in U.S.-China relations and China’s engagement in the Western Hemisphere. A renowned expert on China-LatAm relations, he has testified before Congress multiple times about China’s national security threats in Latin America, taught U.S.-China relations and Chinese foreign policy at Florida International University, spearheaded institutional partnerships with Taiwanese universities, and led the rollout of an AI-powered dashboard tracking Chinese activities in the Western Hemisphere used by government officials, diplomats, and journalists.

Lazarus served as the Special Assistant and Speechwriter to two four-star Commanders of U.S. Southern Command (Department of Defense), where he advised on SOUTHCOM’s counter-China strategy. He was also a State Department diplomat in China and the Caribbean, representing U.S. interests and telling America’s story overseas.

Lazarus is the President and Chair of the Fulbright Association, which represents 400,000 Fulbright alumni around the world. He holds affiliations with the Council on Foreign Relations Term Member, the National Committee on US-China Relations, and the Atlantic Council’s Global China Hub. His articles and commentary have appeared in NBC News, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Univision, Telemundo, The Miami Herald, Foreign Policy Magazine, and various international outlets.

Throughout his career, Lazarus has received awards such as the Defense Department Joint Civilian Service Commendation Award, and the State Department Distinguished Honor Award. He has also participated in the 2025 Harvard Business School Young American Leaders Program, the 2023 International Career Advancement Program and the 2022 Center for a New American Security Next Generation National Security Leaders Program.

Fluent in both Mandarin and Spanish, he holds an M.A. at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, a B.A. in International Relations at Brown University, and Executive Certificates in Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain Technologies from the MIT Sloan School of Management.

Wilson Center Project

The Silk Road of Crime: The Rise of Chinese Organized Crime Around the World

Project Summary

This project examines the global rise of Chinese transnational organized crime and introduces the concept of “geocriminality” to explain how criminal networks intersect with state power, economic expansion, and strategic geography. It argues that these networks have expanded alongside China’s global footprint, operating across key sectors like drug trafficking, cybercrime, and money laundering, particularly in regions with weak governance. The research positions Chinese organized crime not just as a law enforcement issue, but as a gray-zone geopolitical challenge that can undermine governance, enable corruption, and affect global security. Using multilingual sources, case studies, and spatial analysis, the project maps where these networks operate and how they align with trade routes, infrastructure, and diaspora communities. Ultimately, it aims to provide policymakers with a more integrated framework and actionable strategies to address transnational crime as part of broader strategic competition.