Diplomatic Security Coordinates Rescue of 3-year-old American Kidnapped in GuatemalaBureau of Diplomatic SecurityWashington, DC September 26, 2008 State Department Special Agents Provided Critical Information In Kidnap Investigation The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS) helped coordinate the rescue of a three-year-old American citizen on August 28, 2008, in Guatemala. The rescue was a result of investigative efforts by the DS Regional Security Office in Guatemala City, Guatemala, in cooperation with the FBI and Guatemala's Anti-Kidnapping Unit (CAS). Three armed assailants approached and kidnapped the young girl when she attempted to board a school bus in front of her residence in Antigua, Guatemala the morning of August 27, 2008. The girl's mother notified American Citizen Services (ACS) at Embassy Guatemala City. ACS immediately contacted the Embassy's Regional Security Office. During the afternoon of August 27, the victim's mother began negotiating with the kidnappers by phone with the assistance of FBI and CAS hostage negotiators. The kidnappers requested a ransom to secure the girl's release, and provided proof that she was alive during the negotiations. While these phone negotiations were underway, the Regional Security Office in Embassy Guatemala was able to provide Guatemala's Anti-Kidnapping Unit critical information regarding the whereabouts of the kidnappers and the victim in Planes de Barcenas, Villa Nueva, Guatemala. On the morning of August 28, Guatemala's CAS, utilizing the information provided by the Regional Security Office, successfully rescued the girl. All five kidnapping suspects were killed during the rescue operation. The young victim was unharmed during the rescue. DS special agents escorted the girl and her mother to Guatemala City following the rescue. On August 29, the girl and her mother boarded a flight bound for the United States. Gregory B. Starr, Director of the U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service, stated, "This rescue demonstrates the extraordinary competence of the DS Regional Security Office in Embassy Guatemala, and the professionalism of Guatemala's Anti-Kidnapping Unit. Their joint effort resulted in the safe rescue of a United States citizen and highlights the dangers that can confront our citizens overseas." The Bureau of Diplomatic Security is the U.S. Department of State's law enforcement and security arm. The special agents, engineers, and security professionals of the Bureau are responsible for the security of 285 U.S. diplomatic missions around the world. In the United States, Diplomatic Security personnel protect the U.S. Secretary of State and high-ranking foreign dignitaries and officials visiting the United States, investigate passport and visa fraud, and conduct personnel security investigations. In 2007, DS participated in 1,955 arrests globally, primarily for passport and visa fraud, including 406 arrests overseas in cooperation with foreign police. Additional information about the U.S. Department of State and the Bureau of Diplomatic Security may be obtained at www.state.gov/m/ds. Contact: |
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