El Salvadoran students graduate from elite federal training program
Left: Physical conditioning is a regular part of the training schedule for El Salvadoran students participating in the International Taskforce Agent Training program. Right: El Salvadoran students practice submission holds during the International Taskforce Agent Training program in Glynco, Georgia.
GLYNCO, Ga. — A class comprised of students from El Salvador became the latest graduates of the International Taskforce Agent Training (ITAT) program Friday at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Glynco. The ITAT program, hosted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), has successfully trained hundreds of international law enforcement officials from about a dozen countries.
The 26 current graduates are joining the fight against transnational criminal organizations after spending nearly three weeks in classroom seminars and practical exercises as part of the ITAT program, which provides vetted foreign law enforcement officers with training similar to that of the agency's special agents.
The students, including 21 El Salvador National Police officers, three Foreign Service national investigators and two prosecutors, began their training Oct. 21.
"Transnational criminal organizations, which include international gangs, continue to present significant challenges to law enforcement agencies in the United States and Central America," commented Vance Callender, HSI international operations chief. "Through rigorous training programs like ITAT, the United States and our international partners are able to more effectively coordinate and target dangerous criminal organizations. The more we are able to integrate together and operate as one team, the less likely criminals will be able to evade us."
"It is with great pride that I recognize the students graduating today," said Deputy Director General Howard Cotto Castaneda, El Salvador National Police. "They will be on the front lines, leading the fight against the violent criminals who threaten our communities and our families. The skills they have sharpened in this class will quickly prove most valuable in this fight."
HSI instructors delivered a tailored curriculum developed to strengthen the students' ability to conduct criminal investigations. Classes covered investigation and interview techniques, evidence processing and warrant execution. The graduates were also exposed to physical training, defensive tactics and weapons practice.
The graduates are now part of an international law enforcement community that facilitates information sharing and the bilateral investigation of transnational criminal organizations involved in a variety of crimes, including weapons and narcotic trafficking, human smuggling and trafficking, money laundering, cybercrimes and more.
FLETC serves as the largest law enforcement training organization in the United States, training a majority of the federal officers and agents in the country. In addition to providing training for more than 90 federal partner organizations, FLETC also provides training to local, state, tribal and international police in select advanced programs. Approximately 70,000 students graduate from FLETC each year.
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