CIA Latin American Division

formerly Western Hemisphere Division

The Latin American Division (LAD), formerly the Western Hemisphere Division (WH), was a geographical component of the CIA's clandestine arm, the Directorate of Operations (ref 1).

The Western Hemisphere Division was founded on 9 July 1951 with the merger of the Latin American Divisions of the Office of Special Operations (OSO) and the Office of Policy Co-ordination (OPC) (ref 2).

John Brennan’s 2015 re-organisation of the CIA created a Western Hemisphere Mission Center reporting directly to the Office of the Director (ref 20). This may have absorbed the Latin American Division as well as elements from the Directorate of Intelligence.