The U.S. Embassy in Guatemala transferred five UH-1H helicopters to the Air Interdiction, Antinarcotics and Antiterrorism Task Force (Fuerza de Tarea de Interdicción Aérea, Antinarcótica y Antiterrorista – FIAAT) to combat drug trafficking.
Transferencia responsabilidad técnica #FIAAT marca resultado de cooperación bilateral 🇺🇸🇬🇹 x medio @StateINL y @mingobguate c/interdicción aérea y terrestre p/combatir narcotráfico, en 2021 se redujo a 19 presuntos aterrizajes de droga, entre otros éxitos p/afianzar #Seguridad. pic.twitter.com/Q00Vo4DxDY
— US Embassy Guatemala (@usembassyguate) August 24, 2022
The ceremony by which the technical responsibility of the aircraft was transferred to the Guatemalan authorities took place on Wednesday, August 24, and was attended by the US ambassador to Guatemala, William Popp, the head of the Interior Ministry, David Napoleón Barrientos, and authorities of the National Civil Police (PNC).
According to the Government of Guatemala’s press release, the ceremony of transfer of the UH-1H Huey IIs was also attended by the Minister of National Defense, Henry Reyes Chigua, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mario Adolfo Búcaro, the First Vice Minister of Security, Carlos Franco Urzúa, the Fifth Vice Minister of Antinarcotics, Fernando Rodas, the Director of the Counterdrug and Law Enforcement Affairs Section (INL) of the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala, Kelly Hapka, police commanders and special guests.
«Today, we receive the responsibility to comply with international standards for the administration and corresponding management, which will allow the aircraft to be maintained in optimal conditions, as they are being delivered by the Government of the United States to the State of Guatemala. I also thank and recognize the work done by FIAAT personnel, because they are an important task force for the frontal fight against drug trafficking in the country,» Minister Barrientos said.
Ambassador Popp emphasized that during this period the FIAAT strengthened the presence of the State in vulnerable areas of the country, increased the technical capabilities of its personnel and worked hand in hand with the international law enforcement community in the destruction of clandestine airstrips, transfer of evidence, eradication of illegal crops and the capture of extraditable persons. However, the greatest achievement of this force was the teamwork carried out in multiple missions without accidents and in compliance with the best security standards.
The fleet of helicopters was donated by the U.S. government to Guatemalan authorities in 2013, through the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), but was not maintained by Guatemalan government personnel until now.
These aircraft have been used for the frontal combat against drug trafficking and related crimes, the transfer of humanitarian assistance in natural disasters and transported doses of vaccines during the Covid-19 pandemic to areas of difficult access.
