US Special Forces in Latin America: Covert Missions and Controversial Operations

The Hidden World of US Special Forces in Latin America

For decades, rumors have swirled about secret US Special Forces missions in Latin America. Some are based on historical fact, while others remain unconfirmed. Recently declassified documents have shed new light on these operations, revealing a complex web of military interventions, training programs, and covert actions across the region.

This article will delve into some of the most notable and obscure American Special Forces missions in Latin America, examining their impact and the controversies surrounding them.

The Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET) Program

One of the most widespread and well-documented forms of US Special Forces involvement in Latin America is the Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET) program. Established in 1991, JCET allows the Department of Defense to deploy Special Forces personnel to train and coordinate with foreign nations outside of direct wartime goals.

A Freedom of Information Act request by the Washington Office on Latin America, a human rights-focused think tank, uncovered shocking details about the scale of JCET operations in the region:

• Between 2007 and 2014, the number of JCET missions in Latin America tripled
• Approximately 4,000 US operators trained 13,000 Latin American personnel
• The total cost of these missions was around $73 million
• Honduras received the most JCET missions (21), followed by Colombia and El Salvador (19 each)

While the exact details of these missions remain classified, we know they focused on:

• Urban combat training
• Foreign internal defense
• Gaining regional access with minimal footprint
• Enhancing US influence in host countries

Critics argue that JCET missions serve as a legal loophole for conducting counterterrorism and counter-drug operations alongside partner forces, raising questions about the true nature and extent of US military involvement in the region.

The 7th Special Forces Group: Specialists in Latin America

The US Army's 7th Special Forces Group plays a crucial role in American military operations throughout Latin America. As one of seven Special Forces groups, the 7th Group specializes in the Latin American region and Southern Command.

Key aspects of the 7th Special Forces Group include:

• Headquartered at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida
• Operators learn either Portuguese or Spanish
• Focus on understanding regional cultures, customs, and history
• Expanded role in Latin America since the 1980s under President Reagan

The 7th Group's involvement in Latin America has been extensive and often controversial, with operations ranging from training missions to direct combat engagements.

Covert Operations in Honduras

Some of the most sensitive and classified US Special Forces missions have taken place in Honduras. While many details remain shrouded in secrecy, some information has come to light through declassified documents and personal accounts from former operators.

The 1991 Delta Force Mission

Former Delta Force operator Eric L. Haney revealed a shocking operation that took place in Honduras in 1991:

• Mission: Intercept and destroy approximately 100 Honduran Marxist, Cuban-trained guerillas
• US Delta operators worked alongside local Honduran troops
• The team tracked the Marxist fighters to a mountain base and engaged in combat
• During the battle, Haney killed a man with a radio who turned out to be David Baez

The identity of David Baez made this operation particularly controversial:

• Baez was a Nicaraguan-born American citizen
• Former US Army Special Forces operator
• Haney had met Baez years earlier during Delta Force selection courses
• Baez had defected from the 7th Special Forces Group and joined the opposing side
• Baez saw himself as a Che Guevara-type guerilla leader

However, further research by former Green Beret Greg Walker suggests an even darker turn of events:

• David Baez may have been captured alive along with 35 other prisoners
• A Honduran general allegedly gave an execution order, which was agreed to by an unnamed US official
• Baez and other guerillas were reportedly executed by Honduran soldiers
• Evidence for this comes from a declassified CIA internal investigation

This operation highlights the complex and often murky nature of US Special Forces involvement in Latin America during the Cold War era.

El Salvador: Training Forces and Controversy

The US Special Forces' involvement in El Salvador during the 1980s is another chapter in the complex history of American military operations in Latin America. In 1981, President Reagan sent the 7th Special Forces Group to train and expand El Salvador's security forces.

Key aspects of the mission in El Salvador include:

• Goal to increase El Salvador's security forces from 12,000 to 55,000 personnel
• Budget increased to $80 million annually by 1982
• Official mission of 55 Special Forces advisers, but actual numbers may have been closer to 300
• Fighting against leftist guerilla forces (FMLN) backed by Cuba, Nicaragua, North Vietnam, and East Germany

Controversies surrounding the El Salvador mission:

• Declassified CIA documents revealed that some US-trained organizations developed into paramilitary "death squads"
• These groups were accused of killing up to 75,000 people
• The US military initially denied giving combat infantry badges to Special Forces personnel in El Salvador
• Reports of US casualties were often misrepresented or downplayed

Greg Walker, a veteran of the conflict in El Salvador, shared insights into the realities of the mission:

• Special Forces soldiers were regularly shot at while on supposedly non-combat missions
• Purple Hearts were issued, but deaths were often misreported
• Example: Staff Sergeant Gregory A. Fronius was initially reported as killed by a mortar round while sleeping, when in reality he died while helping to repel an attack on the El Paraiso Brigade headquarters

Ultimately, 39 Americans were killed during operations supporting El Salvador during its civil war, highlighting the dangers and complexities of US involvement in the region.

Operation Search Bloc: The Hunt for Pablo Escobar

One of the most well-known US Special Forces operations in Latin America was the mission to help take down Pablo Escobar, the notorious Colombian drug lord. Operation Search Bloc combined the efforts of US intelligence agencies, Delta Force operators, and Colombian law enforcement to dismantle Escobar's empire.

Key elements of the operation included:

• A 1991 US Navy SEAL helicopter raid in Bolivia that narrowly missed Escobar
• US Army Intelligence Support Activity (ISA) using modified civilian planes for surveillance
• Delta Force handpicking and training a Colombian unit called Search Bloc
• Electronic surveillance equipment pinpointing Escobar's location to within 200 meters

The final raid that led to Escobar's death in December 1993 involved:

• Two Delta Force snipers setting up an observation post in the surrounding hills
• The Search Bloc unit confirming Escobar's presence and storming the house
• Escobar attempting to escape across rooftops before being shot and killed

While rumors persist that a Delta Force sniper fired the final shot that killed Escobar, there is no hard evidence to support this claim. Jerry Boykin, commander of the Delta Force team in Colombia, has denied US involvement in the actual killing.

The Alleged Delta Force Mission in Mexico

One of the most recent and secretive alleged operations involves Delta Force's supposed involvement in the 2016 recapture of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán in Mexico. While this mission remains unconfirmed, several sources have reported on its possible existence.

Key points of the alleged operation:

• Delta Force was reportedly sent to Mexico in early 2016
• Mission: Assist Mexican authorities in recapturing the Sinaloa Cartel leader
• El Chapo had previously escaped from prison twice
• The operation was part of a larger effort to combat the Sinaloa Cartel's expansion into the US

Details of the mission, as reported by defense news outlet SOFREP:

• US government provided intelligence and counterterrorism assets to Mexico
• Delta Force allegedly helped track cartel leadership to the town of Los Mochis
• On January 8, they pinpointed a prominent sicario (hitman) in a cartel safe house
• Mexican Marines stormed the safe house, leading to an intense firefight
• El Chapo escaped through a tunnel but was captured shortly after in a nearby hotel

The exact role of Delta Force in Operation Black Swan remains undisclosed, with the Mexican government insisting that only their forces were involved in the arrest. However, US government insiders suggest that Delta Force played a supporting role, providing training, advice, and intelligence assets to Mexican forces.

Operation Acid Gambit: The Panama Prison Rescue

On December 20, 1989, US Special Forces conducted a daring rescue mission in Panama City, just hours before the larger US invasion of Panama was set to begin. The operation, codenamed Acid Gambit, aimed to rescue US citizen Kurt Muse from a Panamanian prison.

Key details of the mission:

• Four MH-6 Little Bird helicopters carried Delta Force operators
• The team had a 6-minute window to complete the rescue before the main invasion began
• Delta snipers cut the prison's power supply by shooting the generator
• The assault team used explosives to breach the prison
• Kurt Muse was successfully extracted from his cell

However, the operation faced significant challenges:

• Intense rifle fire from Panama's Defense Forces
• The humid climate caused issues with explosive charges
• The extraction helicopter lost power and crashed onto the street
• One Delta operator was knocked out of the chopper from 20 feet in the air

Despite these setbacks, the team managed to regroup and form a perimeter around the crash site. They were eventually rescued by a US infantry convoy that was part of the main invasion force. Kurt Muse was safely returned to a nearby US base along the Panama Canal.

CIA Operations in Bolivia: The Hunt for Che Guevara

The CIA's involvement in Latin America extends back to the 1950s, with one of its most notable operations taking place in Bolivia in the late 1960s. The mission aimed to stop Che Guevara's revolutionary attempts in the country.

Key aspects of the CIA operation in Bolivia:

• Deployed the Special Operations Division (SAD) in 1966
• CIA operatives Felix Rodriguez and Gustavo Villoldo were part of the task force
• Provided advanced intelligence to the Bolivian Army
• Embedded with a battalion of 650 Bolivian Rangers

The operation culminated on October 8, 1967:

• Guevara and his guerilla unit were surrounded in a steep ravine
• A fierce firefight ensued, with hundreds of rounds expended
• Guevara was wounded and captured alive

The aftermath of Guevara's capture remains controversial:

• CIA operative Rodriguez claims he tried to keep Guevara alive for interrogation
• Orders allegedly came from Bolivian high command to execute Guevara
• A Bolivian soldier was chosen to carry out the execution
• Some reports suggest the US government was indifferent to whether Guevara was captured or killed

The CIA's role in Guevara's death remains a subject of debate, with declassified documents providing some insight but leaving many questions unanswered.

Operation Golden Pheasant: Show of Force in Honduras

In 1988, President Reagan authorized an emergency deployment of US troops to Honduras in response to Nicaraguan attacks on Contra logistics bases. This operation, codenamed Golden Pheasant, demonstrated the rapid response capabilities of US forces in the region.

Key elements of Operation Golden Pheasant:

• Deployment of 5,000 US light infantry troops, including elements from the 82nd Airborne
• Support for 12,000 Honduran troops
• Aimed at deterring Nicaraguan Sandinista forces
• Combined live-fire exercises with special forces units

The operation's impact:

• US forces were given strict orders not to engage Sandinista forces directly
• The show of force was enough to cause Sandinista forces to withdraw across the border
• Led to negotiations between the Sandinista government and Contra leaders
• US forces withdrew by the end of March 1988

Operation Golden Pheasant highlighted the strategic value of maintaining airborne units for rapid deployment in crisis situations, despite ongoing debates about their relevance in modern warfare.

Conclusion: The Complex Legacy of US Special Forces in Latin America

The history of US Special Forces operations in Latin America is a complex tapestry of covert missions, training programs, and controversial interventions. From the jungles of Bolivia to the streets of Panama City, American operators have played a significant role in shaping the region's political and military landscape.

While some operations, like the hunt for Pablo Escobar, have become part of popular culture, many others remain shrouded in secrecy. The full extent of US involvement in Latin America may never be fully known, but declassified documents and personal accounts continue to shed light on this fascinating and often contentious chapter of military history.

As we reflect on these operations, it's crucial to consider their long-term impacts on the region and the ethical implications of foreign military intervention. The legacy of US Special Forces in Latin America serves as a reminder of the complex interplay between national security interests, geopolitical strategy, and human rights concerns in an increasingly interconnected world.

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