The United States and Guatemala are committed to work on key projects to boost mutual development and take bilateral relations to the next level. Among their objectives, highlighted in several high-level meetings in 2024, are: To strengthen security and prosperity in the hemisphere and reinforce their shared fight against transnational crime.
The implementation of the Guatemala se Transforma initiative, which was first announced in Washington, D.C. in March, is perhaps among the projects that stand out most. The initiative rests on three pillars: building national alliances and coalitions with diverse actors, fighting corruption to strengthen democratic institutions, and combating narcotrafficking and international trafficking networks, Guatemalan daily La Hora reported. Guatemala and the rest of Central America serve as a bridge for narcotrafficking and a hub of operation for transnational criminal groups, Salvadoran newspaper El Mundo reported.
In early October, the U.S. Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) announced its intent to commit some $50 million in additional resources to the initiative, bringing the INL’s total commitment to $100 million, so that Guatemala can continue to acquire capabilities to strengthen its security and democracy, the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala said in a statement.
“Transnational organized crime represents a serious threat to Guatemala’s security, stability, and development. These criminal networks operate without borders; they foment violence and generate social instability,” Guatemalan Army Major Ann Marie Argueta, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, told Diálogo. “For this reason, the Army implements operations on the international political border with El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, and the adjacent line with Belize, managing to prevent the illegal entry into national territory of people, merchandise, drugs, and arms, among other things.”
“Both governments view the establishment of a High-Level Security Dialogue as a crucial step toward a shared strategy to counter transnational security threats,” said the Joint Statement on the U.S.-Guatemala High-Level Security Dialogue, released October 3 by the U.S. Department of State. The dialogue, continues the statement, is to serve as a basis for broader and deeper cooperation to jointly address challenges and advance common interests.
“In order to protect the border areas, there is fluid communication and cooperation with neighboring countries for the exchange of information and intelligence, as well as the implementation of foot and motorized patrols, maritime and air patrols, to intercept illicit aircraft and vessels,” Maj. Argueta said. “Through these actions, the Guatemalan Army supports the fight against transnational crime using its different capabilities, to deny it space and reaffirm its commitment to the Guatemalan population, to maintain the sovereignty and integrity of the national territory.”
Amid the High-Level Security Dialogue, the U.S. delegation highlighted Guatemala’s positive results in the fight against narcotrafficking early on in 2024 and reiterated the importance of collaboration. “In March, [Guatemalan] special naval forces set a record, seizing more than 2,000 packages of cocaine in three seizures in a three-day period,” said INL Assistant Secretary Todd Robinson, Guatemalan daily Prensa Libre reported.
In late October, U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) donated equipment to the Guatemalan Army, including vehicle, boat, and aircraft parts; communication equipment; and personal protection gear valued at nearly $13 million to strengthen Guatemala’s fight against transnational criminal organizations. Earlier that same month, SOUTHCOM donated a coastal patrol vessel to the Guatemalan Navy, while the INL delivered spare engines for other vessels to strengthen the interdiction fleet, increase its capabilities, and contribute to reducing international narcotrafficking in the country, the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala said.
“In Guatemala there is no place for transnational crime or illicit trafficking,” said U.S. Ambassador to Guatemala Tobin Bradley, during the delivery of the equipment. “Not in the air, not on land, and not at sea.”
Thanks to international cooperation, Guatemala has strengthened its capacity to combat organized crime, made record seizures, dismantled criminal networks, and executed more than 20 extraditions of criminals during 2024. These results reflect the direct impact of economic assistance on the effectiveness of Guatemalan institutions, Guatemalan digital news site Noticias del Valle reported.
