US Commando Squad Operating in Honduras
Monday, 07 November 2011 07:59
Because the presence of armed Americans on their soil raises sensitivities about sovereignty, some countries that have sought the assistance of the United States will not acknowledge it, and the DEA is reluctant to disclose the details of the commando teams’ deployments.
Honduras Weekly
The New York Times is reporting that the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has deployed five "commando-style squads" in Central America and the Caribbean, including Honduras, to combat drug cartels. Each team consists of 10 specially-trained agents with military experience. The operation is part of the Foreign-deployed Advisory Support Team (FAST) program established under President George. W. Bush in response to drug trafficking associated with the Taliban in Afghanistan. According to the article yesterday by Charlie Savage, the Obama administration has expanded FAST "far beyond the war zone".
In testimony before the US House of Representatives' Committee on International Relations on March 17, 2005, DEA Chief of Operations Michael A. Braun described the squads as "teams of DEA Special Agents and Intelligence Research Specialists" that "will provide guidance and conduct bilateral investigations to identify and dismantle illicit drug trafficking and money laundering organizations".
In his article, Mr. Savage notes, "Because the presence of armed Americans on their soil raises sensitivities about sovereignty, some countries that have sought the assistance of the United States will not acknowledge it, and the DEA is reluctant to disclose the details of the commando teams’ deployments."
Mr. Savage specifically mentions a training exercise in March 2011 involving a DEA squad in Honduras that "went live". He writes, "... an American squad was working with a Honduran police unit in La Mosquitia rainforest when they received word that a suspicious plane from Venezuela was being tracked to a clandestine landing strip nearby."
"After the plane landed, the Honduran police identified themselves and the traffickers opened fire, officials of both countries said. After a 20-minute gunfight, the Hondurans and Americans seized the cocaine and withdrew to evacuate the wounded officer.Mr. Savage quotes former Honduran Minister of Security Oscar Álvarez... "I don’t want to say it was Vietnam-style, but it was typical of war action." He cites an unnamed source "familiar with the episode" as confirming that the DEA squad did engage in the firefight.
The FAST program is reportedly overseen by former Navy SEAL Richard Dobrich. The Savage article states that the Pentagon provides most of the training, equipment, and transport for the DEA squads. (11/7/11) (photo of FAST squad courtesy Internet)
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