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