1998: $1,100,000¹

(Ordered September 30, 1998)

1997: $37 million²

^{(Ordered December 2, 1996)}

All 53 helicopters and the C-26 aircraft were delivered to the Mexican military during 1996 and 1997, along with 20 more UH-1H helicopters transferred through the Excess Defense Articles (EDA) program.³ The White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) reported in September 1997 that "[t]he first 20 helicopters were delivered to Mexico in November 1996 and an additional 28 were transferred in July 1997. The remaining 25 UH-1Hs will be delivered by September."⁴

The helicopters are intended to support the counterdrug operations of the Mexican military's Air-Mobile Special Forces Groups (GAFEs), elite counternarcotics units which are receiving extensive U.S. training. "These air mobility assets," [helicopters and planes]," the White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) reports, "mark a significant improvement in Mexico's counterdrug capabilities. They are employed in conjunction with the GAFE as well as in reconnaissance, eradication, and interdiction operations."⁵

Soon after the seventy-three helicopters were transferred, however, complaints were heard from Mexico that the Vietnam-era equipment was too old and broke down too frequently. In fact, the Mexican Air Force grounded the entire fleet in March 1998 after the U.S. Army issued a warning about possible defects in the engines of all UH-1H helicopters.

As of mid-1999, the Mexican government chose to negotiate the return of fifty-two of the original seventy-three helicopters.⁶ In June 1999, the Mexican Embassy in Washington stated that “the government of the United States will contribute to the overhauling and setting into optimum conditions of 20 UH-1H helicopters, by allocating maintenance funds and transferring them through the FMS program. Mexico and the United States have started negotiations towards a cost-sharing agreement to finance the operation of the helicopter fleet."⁷ However, according to later press reports, even the twenty helicopters under agreement for refurbishment were returned.⁸ The total return of the helicopters is taking place after the United States has trained hundreds of Mexican military personnel in helicopter operations and maintenance.⁹

The C-26 planes, according to the General Accounting Office (GAO), are "a military version of the Fairchild metro 10-passenger turboprop aircraft used by the Air National Guard. [They were] provided by the National Security Council to enhance the surveillance capability of the various drug-producing and transit countries, including Mexico."¹⁰

The GAO has uncovered several logistical problems associated with this drawdown. In 1997, the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City reported that the helicopters are "of little utility above 5,000 feet, where most of the opium poppy is cultivated."¹¹ Due to delays in delivering spare parts, the GAO reports, the helicopters' operational rates have declined to between 35 and 54 percent.¹² The C-26s, which were intended to perform surveillance of drug cultivations, were delivered without surveillance capabilities, which could cost an extra $3 million per plane.¹³

Observers have expressed some concern about the "end use" of equipment and training transferred to Mexico through drawdowns and other programs. Much of this concern was inspired by the misuse of U.S.-provided counternarcotics helicopters to transport troops during the 1994 Chiapas uprising.¹⁴ In March 1998 testimony, the GAO indicated that

oversight and accountability of counternarcotics assistance continues to be a problem. We found that embassy records on UH-1H helicopter usage for the civilian law enforcement agencies were incomplete. Additionally, we found that the U.S. military's ability to provide adequate oversight is limited by the end-use monitoring agreement signed by the governments of the United States and Mexico.¹⁵

A 1996 GAO report notes that "the Mexican government ... has objected to direct oversight of U.S.-provided assistance and, in some instances, has refused to accept assistance that was contingent upon signing such an agreement. ... According to U.S. officials," the report goes on, "the U.S. Embassy relies heavily on biweekly reports that the Mexican government submits. Unless they request specific operational records, U.S. personnel have little knowledge of whether helicopters are being properly used for counternarcotics activities."¹⁶

Sources:

¹ United States, Department of State, "Memorandum of Justification for use of Section 506(a)(2) special authority to draw down articles, services, and military education and training," September 15, 1998.

² United States, Department of State, "Memorandum of Justification for use of Section 506(a)(2) special authority to draw down articles, services, and military education and training," December 1996.

United States, Department of State, Bureau of Legislative Affairs, "506 (a)(2) Drawdown Package," September 13, 1996.

Federal Register, December 11, 1996: 65149.

³ United States, General Accounting Office, "Drug Control: Status of Counternarcotics Efforts in Mexico," Statement of Benjamin F. Nelson, Director, International Relations and Trade Issues, National Security and International Affairs Division, before the Subcommittee on National Security, International Affairs, and Criminal Justice, Committee on Government Reform and Oversight, House of Representatives; and the Caucus on International Narcotics Control, U.S. Senate, document number GAO/T-NSIAD-98-129, Washington, March 18, 1998: 9 <http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/useftp.cgi?IPaddress=waisback.access.gpo.gov&filename=ns98129t.txt&directory=/diskb/wais/data/gao>.

⁴ United States, Executive Office of the President, Office of National Drug Control Policy, Report to Congress: Volume I, Washington, September 15, 1997: 16 <http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/enforce/rpttocong/rpttoc.html>, Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format <http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/enforce/rpttocong/report.pdf>.

⁵ Office of National Drug Control Policy, Report to Congress: Volume I 20.

⁶ The fleet was reduced to 72 after one crashed.

⁷ Government of Mexico, "Mexico to keep 20 UH-1H helicopters in its counter-narcotics military fleet," Embassy of Mexico press release, BOL-99-65, June 6, 1999.

⁸ See, for instance, Molly Moore, "Mexico Sends 'Junk' Choppers Back to U.S." Washington Post, October 6, 1999.

⁹ Based on data compiled from United States, Department of State, Department of Defense, Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest in Fiscal Years 1998 and 1999 (Washington: 1999).

¹⁰ General Accounting Office, "Status of Counternarcotics Efforts in Mexico" 12-13.

¹¹ United States, General Accounting Office, "Drug Control: Status of U.S. International Narcotics Activities," Statement of Benjamin F. Nelson, Director, International Relations and Trade Issues, National Security and International Affairs Division, document number GAO/T-NSIAD-98-116, Washington, March 12, 1998: 8 <http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/useftp.cgi?IPaddress=waisback.access.gpo.gov&filename=ns98116t.txt&directory=/diskb/wais/data/gao>. Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format <http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/useftp.cgi?IPaddress=waisback.access.gpo.gov&filename=ns98116t.pdf&directory=/diskb/wais/data/gao>.

¹² General Accounting Office, "Status of Counternarcotics Efforts in Mexico" 2.

¹³ General Accounting Office, "Status of Counternarcotics Efforts in Mexico" 12-13.

¹⁴ General Accounting Office, "Status of U.S. International Narcotics Activities" 10-11.

¹⁵ General Accounting Office, "Status of U.S. International Narcotics Activities" 11.

¹⁶ United States, General Accounting Office, "Drug Control: Observations on Counternarcotics Activities in Mexico," Statement of Jess T. Ford, Associate Director, International Relations and Trade Issues, National Security and International Affairs Division, document number GAO/T-NSIAD-96-239, September 12, 1996: 5-6 <http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/useftp.cgi?IPaddress=wais.access.gpo.gov&filename=ns96239t.txt&directory=/diskb/wais/data/gao> Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format <frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/useftp.cgi?IPaddress=wais.access.gpo.gov&filename=ns96239t.pdf&directory=/diskb/wais/data/gao>.