▁by ▁G - 2 ▁( Ar my ▁intelligence ), ▁ON I ▁( N aval ▁Int elligence ), ▁and ▁civil ian ▁volunte ers . ▁Latin ▁America ▁was ▁sh unn ed ▁by ▁tal ented ▁officers ▁as ▁back water ▁and ▁“ pre jud icial ▁to ▁their ▁prom ot ions ”, ▁therefore , ▁intelligence ▁staff ▁posted ▁Latin ▁America ▁were ▁often ▁from ▁the ▁bottom ▁of ▁the ▁bar rel . ▁For ▁example , ▁Colonel ▁Carl ▁Str ong , ▁the ▁military ▁attach é ▁in ▁Bog ota , ▁war ned ▁of ▁a ▁German ▁attack ▁on ▁Colombia ▁“ via ▁Dak ar ▁and ▁Nep al ,” ▁demonstr ating ▁his ▁ignor ance ▁of ▁Latin ▁American ▁ge ography . ▁ ▁Int elligence ▁work ▁in ▁Latin ▁America ▁became ▁a ▁priority ▁as ▁Naz i ▁Germany ▁advanced ▁across ▁Western ▁Europe . ▁In ▁June ▁ 1 9 4 0 , ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Federal ▁Bureau ▁of ▁Investig ation ▁( F BI ) ▁was ▁charged ▁with ▁monitoring ▁Latin ▁America ▁by ▁President ▁Franklin ▁Ro ose vel t . ▁The ▁~ 7 0 0 ▁F BI ▁agents ▁pou red ▁into ▁Latin ▁America ▁were ▁not ▁much ▁more ▁compet ent . ▁Agent ▁Donald ▁Charles ▁Bird ▁of ▁the ▁F BI ▁was ▁given ▁two ▁weeks ▁of ▁Spanish ▁less ons ▁before ▁being ▁sent ▁to ▁Brazil , ▁a ▁Portuguese ▁speaking ▁country . ▁These ▁intelligence ▁officers ▁often ▁over st ated ▁the ▁level ▁of ▁German ▁influence ▁in ▁Latin ▁America ▁and ▁gross ly ▁ex agger ated ▁the ▁threat ▁of ▁eth nic ▁Germ ans ▁as ▁a ▁potential ▁fifth ▁column . ▁One ▁such ▁example ▁was ▁the ▁F BI ’ s ▁port