Throughout his more than 30-year military career, Vice Admiral Exón Oswaldo Ascencio Albeño has held key positions at the national level and important posts abroad, including chief of Operations for the Multinational Force in Iraq, military observer for the United Nations (U.N.) in Sudan, and intelligence and training officer in Afghanistan. His military and professional training took him across the Americas, to Peru and the United States, where he studied defense resource management, strategic and interagency planning, and intelligence, among many other subjects, equipping him with the knowledge and experience necessary to lead the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Salvadoran Armed Forces.
Diálogo had the opportunity to talk with Vice Adm. Ascencio about the objectives of the Salvadoran Armed Forces, their achievements in the fight against terrorist organizations and narcotrafficking, as well as their collaboration with the United States, among other topics.
Diálogo: What are the main objectives of the Salvadoran Armed Forces for 2025?
Vice Admiral Exón Oswaldo Ascencio Albeño, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Salvadoran Armed Forces: Thanks to the leadership and political will of the President of the Republic and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Mr. Nayib Armando Bukele Ortez, as well as the strategic vision of Minister of National Defense Vice Admiral René Francis Merino Monroy, in his defense policy, and in accordance with national legislation, the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces, in its institutional planning for 2025, has outlined the following as its main objectives:
- To faithfully fulfill the constitutional mission of defending the sovereignty of the State and the integrity of the Salvadoran territory.
- To promote modernization, seeking an optimal concept for the future of the Armed Forces.
- To continue to resolutely support public security tasks within the framework of the Territorial Control Plan.
- To protect the borders to prevent all types of illicit trafficking, particularly migration and narcotrafficking.
- To respond to disaster situations.
- To develop and protect maritime interests.
- To strengthen relations of cooperation and mutual trust with countries in the region.
- To contribute to the protection of the environment and minimize the effects of climate change.
- To continue the fight against transnational organized crime and narcotrafficking.
Regarding the military security function: Within the framework of the Territorial Control Plan, to support the National Civil Police, the General Directorate of Penal Centers, and the General Directorate of Migration and Foreign Affairs, in order to improve internal security conditions on a daily basis; and develop a response capacity to cyberattacks, as well as protect critical infrastructure.
Concerning supporting the State’s foreign policy: To promote regional cooperation, information exchange, and mutual trust within the framework of the Inter-American Defense Board (IADB), the Conference of Central American Armed Forces (CFAC), and the Conference of American Armies (CAA); to contribute to international peace through the deployment of contingents to the U.N.; and to maintain conditions for the timely deployment of the Humanitarian Rescue Unit (UHR) wherever required by the international community.
Regarding supporting national development and disaster response: To contribute, within the framework of the National Civil Protection System, to prevention, mitigation, and response tasks throughout the national territory in the event of natural or man-made disasters; to strongly support the various government plans that benefit the population; and to contribute capabilities for the implementation of strategic government projects that benefit national development.
Diálogo: The year 2024 has been a record year for drug seizures by the Salvadoran Armed Forces, especially in seizures on the high seas. What are the numbers for 2024 seizures and what is the reason for the success of these historic seizures?
Vice Adm. Ascencio: In 2024, the Salvadoran Armed Forces seized 16.7 tons of cocaine on the high seas, valued at some $418 million. This success is undoubtedly due to the political will of the President of the Republic, who, with his firm leadership, has demonstrated his constant support for the Armed Forces. It is also due to the maritime strategy and strategic vision of the Minister of National Defense, who has provided training, instruction, and modernization of resources and equipment to the Trident Naval Task Force [elite unit in the fight against narcotrafficking]. This elite unit of the Salvadoran Navy, focused on the fight against narcotrafficking, can carry out interdiction operations against suspicious vessels that are not limited to the 200 nautical miles of our territorial waters, but also on the high seas, with the latest seizure in 2024 taking place 1,050 nautical miles from our coast.
The Trident Naval Task Force was created when the Minister of National Defense was the chief of the Salvadoran Navy (FNES).
Diálogo: How do the Armed Forces collaborate with its U.S. counterpart, and more specifically with U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), in the fight against narcotrafficking?
Vice Adm. Ascencio: The Armed Forces’ collaboration with the U.S. Military Group in El Salvador and with SOUTHCOM takes the form of coordinated work, which has yielded good results in the fight against illegal migration and narcotrafficking. Likewise, SOUTHCOM provides support in various training programs and equipment and technological resources that facilitate the Sumpul Command’s [unit in charge of border surveillance] presence and surveillance at unauthorized border crossings on El Salvador’s international border.
Likewise, the maritime strategy designed by the Minister of National Defense, through the Trident Naval Task Force, contributes greatly to the SOUTHCOM mission, as the results in the fight against drug trafficking on the high seas are concrete.
Diálogo: In February, the U.S. government designated several criminal gangs and cartels, including Mara Salvatrucha or MS 13, as foreign terrorist organizations. How does this designation affect the Armed Forces’ work in support of public security tasks, and how can it support the regional fight against transnational criminal organizations?
Vice Adm. Ascencio: It does not affect us, because El Salvador already considered maras and gangs to be terrorist groups in its legislation. It is recognized that the political will of the President of the Republic and the Security Cabinet has been fundamental in achieving security in El Salvador. It is worth mentioning that on March 27, 2022, the Legislative Branch approved the State of Emergency, creating the conditions to launch an all-out war against gangs. Therefore, declaring gangs as terrorist organizations has allowed the Salvadoran government to adopt more forceful measures to combat organized crime, showing positive results in terms of security. At the same time, the Armed Forces have made every effort to ensure that fundamental rights are respected in the implementation of the measures adopted.
For the reasons described above, the designation of MS-13 as a terrorist organization by the United States has had a positive impact on organized crime in the region, as this measure weakens the transnational operations of these criminal groups and promotes cooperation among countries.
In general terms, this measure is an effective tool for combating gangs’ illegal activities, but it must be complemented by efficient and coordinated collaboration between States so that the successes achieved in El Salvador can be replicated at the regional level.
Diálogo: What measures have the Salvadoran Armed Forces implemented to prevent illegal migration and protect its borders from transnational criminal organizations, whose drug and human trafficking activities fuel insecurity in the region?
Vice Adm. Ascencio: Currently, under instructions from the Minister of National Defense, the measures implemented include the redeployment of the Sumpul Command, consisting of an increase in qualified and trained personnel for the protection and surveillance of unauthorized border crossings along the entire international border, thereby ensuring more efficient control to prevent illegal migration, drug trafficking, and illicit activities by transnational criminal organizations.
In addition, the Salvadoran Navy has maintained its presence and surveillance in territorial waters, and the Trident Naval Task Force has carried out maritime interdiction operations on the high seas to combat human and drug trafficking.
Diálogo: The Salvadoran Armed Forces have gained international recognition for their fight against organized crime. How has military cooperation between SOUTHCOM and the Salvadoran Armed Forces helped prepare the forces that have been deployed throughout the country to carry out this mission?
Vice Adm. Ascencio: Through military cooperation with SOUTHCOM, the Armed Forces have been able to train their deployed personnel. Likewise, various types of assistance have been received for different branches, consisting of equipment and technologies (drones), which has increased the necessary capabilities in land, air, and maritime scenarios, efficiently carrying out the various tasks required to fulfill the mission and allowing for decisive results in the fight against organized crime.
Diálogo: In May 2024, as part of military collaboration with SOUTHCOM, the Salvadoran Armed Forces received unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to monitor the borders, among other defense and national security purposes. How have these unmanned aerial vehicles contributed so far to protecting the borders against transnational criminal organizations?
Vice Adm. Ascencio: The topography of El Salvador is quite irregular, especially along its international border. In this regard, the use of Puma and Raven unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has been extremely useful and important for the Sumpul Command, which uses them to conduct aerial reconnaissance and surveillance in hard-to-reach areas.
This UAV technology facilitates the surveillance of unauthorized border crossings, allowing the detection of movements of people engaged in illicit activities such as human trafficking, smuggling of goods, illegal migration, and criminal activities.
Therefore, with UAVs, reconnaissance has been carried out quickly and accurately, producing timely information that allows for the right military actions to be taken regarding border surveillance and protection.
