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U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Keith Davids, Commander of Special Operations Command South (SOCSOUTH), met with U.S. Ambassador Ronald D. Johnson along with Salvadoran Minister of Defense Rear Adm. Rene Merino Monroy, Chief of Defense Brig. Gen. Carlos Alberto Tejada, Chief of Naval Operations, Capt. Exon Oswaldo Ascencio and Salvadoran Special Operations military leaders at the brigade level in San Salvador, El Salvador, Dec. 10-11. During his visit, Davids discussed SOCSOUTH’s role in the strong security partnership shared by the U.S. and El Salvador and the focus on countering transnational criminal organizations such as Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and 18th Street gang.
Each fiscal year, partnered security operations disrupt more than $4 billion worth of illegally trafficked drugs. This strong security cooperation significantly enhances the ability of the U.S. and partner nations to patrol Eastern Pacific smuggling corridors, through which more than half of the drugs heading for the U.S. transit, often in multi-ton shipments.
While in El Salvador, Davids participated in the graduation ceremony for the Military Occupational Specialty Instructor Course (MOSIC) at the Comando Especial Anti-Terrorista (CEAT) in Ilopango, El Salvador. The course was conducted by a Special Forces Operational Detachment –Alpha (SF-ODA) team assigned to the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) over a period of three months. SOCSOUTH sponsors and operates MOSIC, which focuses on building the capacity of Salvadoran Special Operations Forces and on working together to protect both countries’ shared neighborhood. The goals are to develop interoperability between both nations to rapidly respond to emergent threats, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief.
El Salvador is a critical partner in bringing stability to the region and is one of more than 20 nations collaborating with the U.S. in cooperative efforts to detect and dismantle transnational criminal organizations in the Western Hemisphere. All nations in this hemisphere share air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace. The U.S. and our partner nations also share democratic values while seeking a mutually beneficial security environment.
