GUATEMALA: BLUE LANTERN 050062674 AND 050095703

UNCLAS GUATEMALA 000465

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR PM/DTCC- BLUE LANTERN COORDINATOR

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETTC KMOC GT
SUBJECT: GUATEMALA: BLUE LANTERN 050062674 AND 050095703

REF: STATE 35779


1. Summary: On April 11, Poloff accompanied PM/DTCC
Officers Judd Stitziel and Kyle Ballard on the post-shipment
end-use check of STI Guatemala per Reftel A. Officers toured
the STI Office and met with STI owner Estuardo Gomez. STI
has yet to receive the 100 .22 caliber handguns authorized
under export license 050062674 and 050095703, but Gomez
stated that the weapons were in Miami awaiting confirmation
of export license 050095703. STI appears to be a legitimate
arms import company that sells high-end handguns mainly to
students of Mr. Gomez's primary business, which is offering
handgun safety and training classes. STI appears to follow
all local regulations and Post has no derogatory information
that would prejudice future import license requests. End
Summary.



2. On April 11, Poloff accompanied PM/DTCC Officers Judd
Stitziel and Kyle Ballard on the post-shipment end-use check
of STI Guatemala per Reftel A. The STI Office at 17 Avenida
28-73, Zone 11, Guatemala City, is located on in a
residential neighborhood. STI owner Estuardo Gomez was open
and frank regarding the details of his business, and showed
officers his records and facility without hesitation. Gomez
claimed that he originally filed license request 050062674 to
import 100 .22 caliber handguns to sell to students of his
self defense/gun safety school. He added that this license
expired prior to delivery of the weapons, which forced him to
file license request 055095703. He claims that the weapons
are still waiting in Miami for shipment, and he was unaware
that license 055095703 had been approved. He also pointed
out that he had filed several other import requests for .40
caliber and 9mm handguns to which he was awaiting response,
although he acknowledged that such requests were not often
approved by U.S. authorities. He said that once the 100
handguns arrived in country it would take at least one-month
for them to clear customs and DECAM (Guatemala's agency
responsible for arms control). He added that he already had
buyers for many of the guns and expected to sell all 100
handguns in under two months.


3. Mr. Gomez stated that his primary business is providing
gun safety and marksmanship classes, which he says grew out
of his long career competing in international shooting
competitions. He claims to be one of the top-five shooters
in the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC),
and that he travels to the U.S. every year for competitions.
The walls of his office boast a large number of plaques and
trophies from around the world supporting his claims to being
a well-known marksman, which he says helps him attract
students. The tour of the STI office included the small but
secure walk-in gun locker that had survived a recent burglary
attempt, and office space that will be converted into a gun
sales outlet if the company can increase the number of
weapons imported from the U.S.


4. Gomez claimed, and his DECAM-certified records
corroborated, that he specializes in selling high-end
handguns. He said that "my customers wear Rolexes and drive
BMWs, they can afford the best and don't mind paying for it."
He stated that over half of the weapons in Guatemala were
not imported legally or registered with DECAM, and added that
the vast majority of gun crime did not link back to weapons
legally imported. He argued that U.S. restrictions on gun
importation hurt legitimate businessmen, but did nothing to
reduce the number of guns on Guatemalan streets. He added
that countries like Turkey and Israel supplied large numbers
of cheap handguns to Guatemala, and that it was these guns as
Qof cheap handguns to Guatemala, and that it was these guns as
opposed to expensive U.S. handguns that ended up being used
in crimes.


5. Gomez stated that the majority of his customers purchased
handguns for self protection, and that while as part of his
training course he recommends small .22 caliber handguns,
many of his clients preferred large (and shiny) .40 caliber
handguns. He also pointed out that IPSC and other
international shooting organizations use .40 caliber handguns
in competition. To meet the needs of his customers and
supply handguns for competitions he claims to have submitted
several export applications for .40 caliber handguns that
have routinely been turned down. He pointed out that a .40
caliber STI Edge handgun could be purchased for upwards of
$5,000 on the black market and subsequently registered (made
legal) with DECAM. He believes he could buy the same gun for
$1,250 in the U.S., pay $200 in shipping and transport costs,
and sell it for upwards of $2,500, making a good profit while
reducing the black market gun trade in Guatemala.



6. Comment: Gomez's small handgun sales business seems to
be a legitimate offshoot of his main business activity and
Post has no derogatory information about STI Guatemala. Post
would not oppose future sales of .22 caliber handguns to STI
Guatemala, but would recommend against sales larger than 100
units until STI Guatemala adds an additional gun safe inside
the company's walk-in gun locker to accommodate the weapons.
End Comment.



7. This message was cleared by PM/DTCC K. Ballard prior to
transmission.

Derham