Central American Law Enforcement Exchange
FBI Press Release : November 10th 2009

Link:
http://www.fbi.gov/page2/nov09/calee_111009.html

Summary:
A joint State Department and FBI initiative called the Central American Law Enforcement Exchange (CALEE) brings together U.S. and Central American agencies to share information and intelligence in the fight against the growing gang problem. The program is about forging relationships across agencies that deal with the growing transnational gang problem. The most recent exchange brought together representatives from El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, and Belize, along with their U.S. counterparts from the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and officers from Northern Virginia and several jurisdictions in North Carolina, where gang activities have been increasing.

Analytical Note:
CALEE isn’t like many initiatives aimed at making arrests. This is more about forging relationships, which can be leveraged at a future date when questions arise or cooperation is required.  Participants will have a rolodex…I guess they don’t make those anymore! Well, they will have multiple contacts to reach out to.