Embassy Guatemala Strongly Supports Continuation of the

UNCLAS GUATEMALA 000134 SENSITIVE SIPDIS PLEASE PASS TO WHA/CEN CHRISTOPHER ASHE PLEASE PASS TO INL/LP MAYRA AHERN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV SNAR KCRM KJUS GT SUBJECT: Embassy Guatemala Strongly Supports Continuation of the Aviation Support Program REF: A) 09 GUATEMALA 461; B) 09 GUATEMALA 562; C) 09 GUATEMALA 630 D) 09 GUATEMALA 1148; E) 09 GUATEMALA 1056; F) 09 GUATEMALA 1208 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: NAS' Aviation Support Program is a critical element in the USG's fight against narcotrafficking and organized crime in Guatemala. It has been extremely successful in supporting law enforcement operations and eradication missions throughout Guatemala. The USG's ability to support the GOG in going after high-value U.S. fugitives would be crippled without this program. Consequently, post requests that the Department strongly consider retaining the program through FY 2010 at its current level of funding. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) On January 13, EmbOffs accompanied Guatemalan military and police officials on a poppy eradication reconnaissance mission in the San Marcos department, in southwest Guatemala. NAS' Aviation Support Program (ASP) provided the helicopters which allowed GOG officials to survey the area looking for opium poppy fields and potential access routes. Following the visit, GOG officials believe that there are a minimum of 500 hectares of poppy being grown in these areas and have planned an eradication mission for early February. Without ASP helicopters, GOG officials would not have been able to survey the area since many of the towns are located near the Tacana Volcano and the crops are being cultivated on mountain-sides with difficult vehicle access. ASP helicopters also supported a poppy and marijuana eradication mission in San Marcos department in May ¶2009. Guatemalan police, military, prosecutors, and NAS personnel participated in the mission, eradicating 371.5 total hectares. Two police officers were shot and one soldier was injured during the mission and the presence of ASP helicopters allowed for their safe air evacuation (Ref A). In FY 2009, 1,526 hectares of opium poppy were eradicated with support from NAS' ASP. USG agencies have recognized the GOG's highly successful poppy eradication missions as a clear demonstration of cooperation between the Guatemalan police, prosecutors, military, and USG entities (Ref B). ¶3. (SBU) Moreover, the ASP has been a critical component in many of DEA's successful law enforcement operations which target narcotrafficking organizations and U.S.-fugitives facing indictments in the United States. In July 2009, ASP helicopters, working with the Anti-drug and Terrorism Aerial Intervention Task Force (FIAAT) and other USG entities, seized an aircraft suspected of smuggling cocaine in the northern Peten department (Ref C). (Comment: Given the distances between the capital and these outlying areas, ASP helicopters are essential to disrupting criminal organizations through arrests and seizures in a timely manner. End Comment.) In October 2009, ASP helicopters supported a DEA operation flying agents and inspection equipment to search containers that allegedly contained cocaine in Puerto Barrios, in the Izabal department (Ref D). In October 2009, ASP helicopters flew a mission which led to the seizure of approximately 625 kilos of cocaine (Ref E). ASP helicopters were also used to fly police, a prosecutor, and a DEA agent to Huehuetenango department in October 2009 to execute search warrants and seize 949 kilos of cocaine and various weapons. The drugs were loaded onto the helicopters and safely transported back to the capital following the seizure. However, police vehicles which travelled back to the capital by road were ambushed by six armored vehicles and, at least, twelve armed men who may have been attempting to recover the seized narcotics (Ref F). ¶4. (SBU) Comment: The DEA Country Attache has noted that DEA's operational capability would be "crippled" without ASP helicopters to support operations which target narcotrafficking operations and U.S.-fugitives facing indictments in the United States. Rampant corruption makes it nearly impossible to trust police and prosecutors in outlying areas who are frequently in the pocket of narcotrafficking organizations or are afraid to do their jobs because of the potentially violent consequences. As a result, ASP helicopters are also used to fly reliable GOG security forces to specific locations, in a timely manner, to execute search warrants and seize drugs and other assets. These missions directly support the USG's mission to disrupt criminal organizations in Guatemala. Post requests that the Department strongly consider continuing ASP through FY 2010 at its current level of funding. End Comment. ROBINSON