In August 2013, the Defense Institute for International Legal Studies (DIILS) traveled to Guatemala to conduct a comparative workshop with the recently formed Guatemalan Interagency Task Force (IATF), in Guatemala City.  The IATF, which focuses primarily on border control, anti-smuggling, and counternarcotics efforts, is a primary mechanism through which the Guatemalan Armed Forces provide support to Guatemalan civilian enforcement authorities and border/customs officers.  Guatemalan workshop participants included representatives from many different Guatemalan IATF sections.

U.S. participants included subject matter experts from the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force, and were led by a DIILS Regional Program Director.  Topics of discussion included observing and respecting human rights in military operations (including operations in support of civilian authorities), the law applicable to international and internal armed conflicts, development and application of use of force rules, approaches to preventing torture other inhuman treatment during such operations and conflicts, and various case studies on the use of the military in support of civilian enforcement operations from both the U.S. and Guatemalan experiences.  Additionally, a senior Guatemalan Judge provided an invaluable host nation perspective on self-defense in context of military support to civilian enforcement operations.  The discussions were frank and robust, and helped establish a greater understanding of the role and mission of the IATF.