Counter Narco-Terrorism Program: Building Force Capacity of Guatemalan Kaibiles, Assisted by the United States Special Operations Forces

This study has footnotes, sources, maps, charts, and list of acronyms. It is from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and Eduardo J. Meneses (CW2, U.S. Army).

“Drug traffic, terrorism, high levels of corruption and more importantly border porosity, constitute the most prominent issues that Guatemala faces regarding security and stability. These issues are significant not only because they affect the country but also the Central American region, and ultimately the United States. Due to its geographical, and multiple international borders, including access to both Atlantic and Pacific littorals, Guatemala serves the opportunity to transnational criminal organizations across the Western Hemisphere, to continue expanding, dominating key terrain, therefore achieving freedom of movement causing further instability throughout the region. Because of that reason, United States has the Counter-Narco Terrorism program (CNT), in this case, to assist Guatemala in the matters of countering crime related to the illicit traffic of drugs, and terrorist activities. Furthermore, this program enables efforts within Guatemala to maintain security, stability, and lasting peace in the region.”

The Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC), formerly known as the U.S. Army School of the Americas (SOA), is a United States Department of Defense Institute located at Fort Benning near Columbus, Georgia, that provides military training to government personnel in US-allied Latin American nations.

The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are those of the student author and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency. (References to this study should include the foregoing statement.)