MIXCO, GUATEMALA (AP) — Two uniformed schoolgirls with wide eyes watched silently from their door early last week as the National Armed Police, in partnership with U. S. officials, raided a neighbor’s cinder block house to find evidence of fraudulent visa production. operation.
Why it matters: The suspect, who comes forward under the pseudonym “Robocop,” was attacked through a special Guatemalan National Police organization made up of U. S. national security officials. The U. S. Department of Homeland Security to crack down on migrant and drug trafficking, human trafficking, fraud, and other crimes. have an effect on American security.
Behind the scenes: I witnessed an arrest in a gangrenous Mixco community and U. S. agents offering unprecedented commandos to Guatemalan police. I also visited a U. S. -funded clandestine facility where Guatemalan agents controlled and cadres alongside a handful of transient U. S. investigators.
Overview: Guatemalan police have been working hand in hand with the U. S. Department of Homeland Security. It is now the TCIU in the world.
According to the numbers: Officials say agents in Guatemala have dismantled 4 smuggling networks this year. The search and arrest I witnessed in connection with visa fraud marked TCIU’s 21st case this year.
How it works: The United States has no jurisdiction to arrest criminals in other countries. But those opposing numbers lack sufficient resources or are riddled with corruption.
Between the lines: For years, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, known as the Northern Triangle countries, have been the main resources of abnormal migration to the U. S. -Mexico border. Migrants and asylum seekers from Central America cite economic hardship, violence or political persecution. as reasons to flee.
Approach: Some Guatemalan TCIU members just finished a three-week education in Perry, Georgia, while older members joined the team nine years ago.
Following the deaths of two TCIU officials in Mexico a few years ago, DHS this year introduced complex educational sessions to keep officials safe.
And then: each of the ERTs, in 14 countries, looks different, depending on the wishes and assignments of the host country.