POSTURE STATEMENT OF
GENERAL DOUGLAS M. FRASER
UNITED STATES AIR FORCE COMMANDER
UNITED STATES SOUTHERN COMMAND
BEFORE THE 112TH CONGRESS
HOUSE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE
6 MARCH 2012

“Central America has become the key transshipment zone for illicit trafficking in the hemisphere; approximately 90 percent of cocaine destined for the United States now transits the sub-region. Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador are experiencing alarming increases in murders and brutality. The rising wave of violence and illicit trafficking, coupled with the expansive resources of transnational organized crime, is challenging the law enforcement capacities of some Central American governments. Accordingly, these countries view their militaries as the only entities capable of responding to these threats. In 2011, El Salvador extended the 2010 deployment of its military to support domestic law enforcement, while Guatemala and Honduras repeatedly relied on their armed forces to counter the spread of transnational organized crime.”

“Honduras posted a record-setting homicide rate not seen in the hemisphere since Colombia in the 1980s; in 2011, San Pedro Sula overtook Ciudad Juarez as the most violent city in the world, with 159 homicides per 100,000 residents. Although still low by regional standards, Panama’s rate represents a 140 percent increase over the past five years. In Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, we have also seen troubling instances of targeted murders of government officials, community activists, journalists, and law enforcement personnel. In 2011, drug traffickers killed and dismembered an auxiliary prosecutor in Cobán, Guatemala, leaving his decapitated body in front of the governor’s house. In El Salvador, gangs have repeatedly attacked or murdered local officials, police officers, and soldiers. In Honduras, 23 journalists have been assassinated in the past five years, 10 of whom were specifically targeted for covering illicit trafficking and corruption.”

“Transnational criminal organizations possess a critical enabler that many states in Central America lack: enormous financial reserves. The illicit financial flows associated with transnational organized crime are staggering; the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) estimates annual global gross profits from cocaine sales at $84 billion, $35 billion of which is generated in retail and wholesale profits in North America alone.”

“Illicit traffickers in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean pocket an estimated $18 billion in gross cocaine profits per year. Lucrative profits enable organized crime to increase operational capacity at a rate that far outpaces that of regional law enforcement and militaries, purchasing sophisticated, military-grade weapons, investing in semi and fully submersible vessels to improve transportation, corrupting and coercing government officials to ensure freedom of movement, and recruiting and bankrolling highly trained specialists, many with military backgrounds.”

Threat to Citizen Safety

“In support of security initiatives led by the Department of State, we focus our efforts on countering the impact of transnational criminal activity on citizen security, which is currently most threatened in Central America. Lack of rule of law and widespread impunity provide fertile ground for illicit trafficking and unchecked criminal violence. Present-day homicide rates in Central America have reached crisis levels.”

“We expect militaries in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador will continue to be called upon to play an important role in domestic security matters in the coming years, given the increasing threat to citizen security and the numerous challenges facing regional law enforcement institutions, which are under-resourced, poorly trained and equipped, and prone to corruption. While we recognize this is a necessary initial step to help curb the rising tide of violence, we also recognize that this approach is unsustainable in the long term; strengthening civilian law enforcement institutions is critical, and we will support the Department of State as the lead agency in this endeavor. As militaries continue to take on internal security responsibilities, our Human Rights Initiative will remain a critical mission set. Through this program, we will continue to support partner nation military and security forces in instituting human rights training; revising policies and regulations to include human rights principles; strengthening internal control mechanisms; and improving cooperation with civilian authorities and civil society.”

Humanitarian Efforts

“In 2011 our business engagement team facilitated support from a multinational corporation to a local U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) project in Honduras and coordinated the donation of $20 million worth of pharmaceuticals from NGOs to clinics and hospitals in Honduras, Guatemala, Colombia, Trinidad and Tobago, and Guyana, helping strengthen partner nation state presence in under-governed areas.”

“We also executed 22 low-cost projects designed to increase disaster preparedness in Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Colombia, Dominica, Haiti, St. Kitts, and Suriname. In conjunction with these projects, we provided training to first responders and disaster response managers, imparting a critical skill that can be employed long after our forces have left the country.”

“In 2011, U.S. medical forces stationed at JTF-Bravo treated 20,257 patients throughout Central America and assisted with transporting food and supplies to local schools and orphanages in Honduras. Although small in force size, JTF-Bravo serves as a tangible representation of U.S. values and of our steadfast commitment to the region.”

Joint Task Force Bravo Headquarters: Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras Major 2011 Accomplishments

Conducted 15 MEDRETEs, resulting in the treatment of 20,257 patients throughout Central America. JTF-Bravo received 7,000+ pounds of food and supplies on military aircraft cargo under the Denton Program, which was made available to NGOs for delivery to local families.
JTF-Bravo received food, shoes and clothing on military aircraft cargo under the Denton Program, which was made available to NGOs for donation to approximately 800 children in five orphanages near Soto Cano Air Base.
JTF-Bravo received 70,000 pounds of cargo, to include 460 wheelchairs and $9,000 in equipment on military aircraft cargo under the Denton Program, which was made available to NGOs for donation to remote locations.
JTF-Bravo received 5,000 backpacks on military aircraft cargo under the Denton Program, which was made available to NGOs for delivery to children from Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Honduras.

12th Air Force (Air Forces Southern) Headquarters: Tucson, Arizona Major 2011 Accomplishments

Sovereign Skies Expansion Program: 12th Air Force applied to successful lessons learned from Dominican Republic and Colombia programs to develop air force capabilities, such as helicopter maintenance and operations, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, in Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. 12th Air Force also conducted an integrated air sovereignty study of these four countries and sent the Mobility Support Advisory Squadron (MSAS) to Honduras for a proof of concept activity.

(For complete statement and video, visit the Southern Command website here.