Traditionally, drug runners meticulously plan their routes and strive to fly as low
as possible during twilight hours to avoid detection by conventional radar systems or,
worse, law enforcement and counter-narcotic military units.
The business is fraught with danger, with potential consequences ranging
from indefinite imprisonment to crashing and burning on makeshift
road-turned-runways—if one is not shot down by patrolling fighter aircraft first.
Regardless, the lucrative profit entices individuals to remain in the industry.
In 2019 alone, at least 54 illicit jets landed in the secluded forests
of Guatemala during the height of smuggling operations in the region.
With cartels becoming more aggressive than ever,
one particular Hawker Siddeley discovered in 2020 captured the world's attention—but
not because of how it landed, but rather for its astounding takeoff showcased in a viral video...
The Sweet Spot
Throughout the duration of the half-century-long American war on drugs, it has been repeatedly
demonstrated that whenever a trafficking route is shut down, a new one emerges.
Not long ago, cartels primarily transported drugs via submarines and fishing boats
through the Pacific Ocean, until the US Coast Guard narrowed that option.
Similarly, jets laden with cocaine used to primarily fly to Mexico and Honduras,
but both countries have since enhanced their aerial interdiction strategies.
Nevertheless, with Guatemala's northern border remaining a lawless region, it was unsurprising
that the largest rainforest in Central America became a criminal haven. To make matters worse,
dozens of aircraft landed in the wildlife reserve before escaping.
Throughout 2019, the Guatemalan authorities discovered no less than 50 abandoned narco jets,
each with a capacity to carry over 100 million dollars worth of cocaine.
Numerous incidents occurred within the Laguna del Tigre National Park.
A jet crashed south of the reserve, scattering thousands of pounds of tightly-wrapped bricks
of the substance throughout the woods. Soon after, authorities found the charred remains
of another jet, likely deliberately set ablaze after the drugs were removed.
And within a few days, another twin-turboprop aircraft was discovered in the jungle.
However, this was just the beginning…
Annoying Neighbors
One of the most captivating incidents in the shadowy
realm of drug smuggling occurred in early 2020.
On January 27, a suspicious aircraft identified as a private jet landed on a rugged airstrip deep
within the jungle. While the plane's safe landing and relatively smooth takeoff were
impressive given the conditions, the true story behind the jet harbored an unexpected twist.
As reported by Guatemalan and Belizean media, local Army officials discovered the narco-jet
accompanied by two vehicles that transported the illicit cargo as well as several firearms.
During the subsequent inspection, the military reportedly found 16 packages
of presumed cocaine in the back of a pickup truck in Petén, along with an additional AK-47.
Residents in neighboring Belize reported that,
shortly before 11:00pm the previous night, they heard a low-flying aircraft near their community,
approximately eight miles from the Guatemalan border.
The surge in covert landings by suspicious cargo jets alarmed people in Central America as much
as their northern neighbors in Mexico. However, neither Guatemalan nor Mexican
authorities proved effective in cracking down on known rural landing locations.
All it took was one gutsy Guatemalan Air Force pilot to create a viral sensation.
Hare and Hounds
The aircraft in question was a Hawker Siddeley HS 125/Hawker 800 derivative. Known for its rugged
airframe and sturdy landing gear, the model was an ideal narco-jet for clandestine operations.
In fact, the type was designed over 50 years ago, specifically to accommodate
a range of runway conditions, from small improved airfields to hardened grass airstrips as needed.
The Hawker 800 was equipped with enormous air brakes and slotted flaps that allowed
the mid-sized jet to come to a sudden stop. However, as captured on camera,
even such a maneuverable aircraft would experience a rough ride along the rocky
road in the middle of nowhere—not to mention that the robust aircraft was not designed
for such extremely austere conditions. And to make matters worse, the Hawker landed at night.
Yet, neither the discovery nor the seizure of another narco-jet in the Central American
jungle garnered much attention, especially on the international stage. But then a
courageous Guatemalan pilot stepped in, and despite the assumption that
the airplane was intended for one-way travel only, the anonymous hero took off from the
seemingly impossible terrain, delighting aviation enthusiasts across social media.
Footage from the scene captivated viewers worldwide, showcasing the sleek aircraft
speeding along the dusty ground and stirring dense clouds of soil as it
gracefully ascended into the skies, much to the admiration of onlookers.
Keep Up
In 2020, despite locked-down borders and plummeting coca leaf prices across
South America, cartels persisted in conducting business as usual.
For months, the park was ravaged by multiple devastating fires, many of which were ignited
by drug traffickers as a means to deforest vast tracts of the jungle to construct
illicit landing strips. In fact, not even firefighters were safe in the disputed jungles.
That same month, a group was captured in the park by armed men who didn't
want anyone messing around with their lucrative business in the United States.
Even though Guatemalan authorities do acknowledge that the protected land has been transformed into
a drug trafficking corridor, they have begrudgingly accepted that their security
forces are outmatched by the far more resourceful and well-organized crime syndicates. Indeed,
these better-equipped cartels have arranged over a dozen landing strips across Laguna
del Tigre and innumerable refurbished jets for transporting their merchandise.
Unlike US shores, which are zealously guarded by the US Coast Guard,
air routes have proven increasingly difficult to block; especially in the Central American
nation's most remote corners, where enforcement is almost non-existent.
As Guatemalan Army Colonel Juan de la Paz explained: (QUOTE) "We are talking
about an industry that has enough money to abandon million-dollar planes in the jungle.
Their resources are infinite, and we are just trying to keep up."
Mistaken Identity
In the end, the Hawker made it to a Guatemalan Air
Force installation for evaluation of its overall condition. More notably, however,
the airframe served as undeniable evidence in the investigation of illicit trafficking.
The truth about the aircraft quickly emerged,
as it bore the same registration as a similar aircraft seized two years prior in Belize,
which was engaged in identical activities. The counterfeit registration number N818LD,
which turned out to be legitimate, belonged to an HS 125-700A owned by
Central Virginia Aviation LLC and registered under the Federal Aviation Administration.
Upon closer inspection, experts determined that the jet that landed on the Belizean road had a
similar paint job but was not indistinguishable from the authentic McCoy. Digging deeper into the
story, it was discovered that the registration had been used more than twice, with yet another
illicit cargo HS 125 landing in Venezuela just one month before the Belizean Hawker was seized.
As aviation experts humorously observed, the use of the N818LD designation has become a tradition
in the drug-dealing industry whenever an HS 125 is available for business. At the very least,
one smuggling group or cartel is using the registration to pose as a legitimate jet.
Admittedly, this type of aircraft is an ideal choice for criminal activities due
to its outstanding short-field performance, sturdy airframe,
range, payload, speed, and, perhaps equally appealing, availability.
In truth, there are plenty of these aircraft in existence, aging out of normal operations.
As aviation analyst Tyler Rogoway noted:
(QUOTE) "As for the real N818LD, it isn't clear if it is still flying in the states,
but maybe it would be a good time for its owners to switch its registration regardless."
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