WASHINGTON—Representative Eliot L. Engel, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, today demanded answers from the State Department about a recent transfer of 38 U.S. military-style jeeps to Guatemala, even after the Guatemalan government misused U.S.-donated armed vehicles to intimidate U.S. and United Nations personnel earlier this year. In a letter to Secretary Pompeo, Rep. Engel led House members in calling for an explanation and requesting full consultation with the Foreign Affairs Committee for all future defense transfers to the Guatemalan government.
“The threatening action by the Guatemalan government on August 31st requires a robust response by the United States. Until there is an acceptable resolution of this issue, we ask that you arrange for consultation with the Committee on all defense transfers to Guatemala before they occur,” read the letter.
Full text of the letter can be found here and below:
Dear Mr. Secretary:
This is to follow up on a letter dated October 9th regarding an August 31st incident in which elements of the Guatemalan government misused seven U.S.-donated military-style J8 jeeps, armed with weapons, to attempt to intimidate U.S. Embassy and United Nations personnel. We continue to urge the Department to take effective steps to ensure that this situation be rectified.
In that regard, we were disturbed to learn that on November 2nd, the United States transferred the ownership titles of 38 additional J8 jeeps to Guatemala. It is difficult to understand how such a transfer would be made without a resolution of the threatening action by the Guatemalan government against U.S. personnel on August 31st. Given the inadequate response by the Department to this situation, we request advance consultation by the Department with the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on all defense transfers to Guatemala before they are finalized regardless of the dollar amount.
We understand that on August 2nd, the 38 additional J8 jeeps arrived in Puerto Barrios, Guatemala. They cleared customs on October 4th and were moved to Guatemala City on October 9th. A transfer agreement was signed on October 11th, and the titles were transferred on November 2nd – over two months after the August 31st incident. The U.S. government should have suspended the title transfer until there is a satisfactory diplomatic resolution of the August 31st incident. We request a full explanation of why the title transfer was made.
The threatening action by the Guatemalan government on August 31st requires a robust response by the United States. Until there is an acceptable resolution of this issue, we ask that you arrange for consultation with the Committee on all defense transfers to Guatemala before they occur.
Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.
Sincerely,
Eliot L. Engel
Ranking Member
House Foreign Affairs Committee
Albio Sires
Ranking Member
House Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere
Gregory Meeks
Ranking Member
House Subcommittee on Europe,
Eurasia, and Emerging Threats
Joaquin Castro
Member
House Foreign Affairs Committee
Norma J. Torres
Member
House Foreign Affairs Committee
Adriano Espaillat
Member
House Foreign Affairs Committee
Robin L. Kelly
Member
House Foreign Affairs Committee
Seth Moulton
Member
House Armed Services Committee
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