Drugs & US Law Enforcement (2006-2017)

**John T. Fishel** · 05-31-2013

Hi Mike--

The 1992 El Sal peace accords called for the reduction in size of the ESAF and teh creation of a new Policia Nacional Civil separate from the MOD. More on the PNC in a minute as it is the more complex part.

During the 12 year war the ESAF grew from under 10,000 to over 56,000 but the officer corps barely grew at all. So, demobilization essentially involved letting the conscripts go home. One result of the US effeort was to leave El Sal with a record of who had been trained in a national computer database. this allowed the ESAF to retain a reserve military force that was called up for duty during Hurricane Mitch.

The PNC was to replace the 3 police forces that had previously existed under the MOD (Vice Min for Public Security). These were (1)the National Police (PN), (2) the Guardia Nacional (GN), and (3) the Policia de hacienda (PH). PN had mainly urban duties, GN mainly rural, and PH focused on white collar crime. The PNC was to incorporate as 20% of its number former PN, 20% former FMLN guerrillas, and 40% new recruits all under a civilian minister.

The new ESAF has become quite professional. The PNC has been a problem and relatively unable to control crime particularly from gangs like MS-13 which grew from the US deportation program of the 1990s.

Email me and I'll give you some addtional detail.

Cheers

JohnT

**Mike Burgoyne** · 06-01-2013

Excellent stuff. Thank you very much.

The attached is an info paper I found discussing SLV lessons learned.

I would think in these situations where you have a criminal element waiting to recruit ex-soldiers that keeping your army actively employed and slowly downsizing is the right answer.

Mike

**John T. Fishel** · 06-01-2013

but ex guerrilla combatants as well.

Issue is always what are you going to do with trained military manpower after the war ends and the civilian economy can't absorb them easily.

Cheers

JohnT