History

In an effort to establish close ties with the emerging democratic states in Eastern Europe, President Clinton in 1995, announced his intention to establish an International Law Enforcement Academy in that region. The first International Law Enforcement Academy was thus established in Budapest, Hungary in 1995, after reaching a bilateral agreement with that country. The success of that academy led to the establishment of International Law Enforcement Academies in Bangkok, Thailand, and Gaborone, Botswana. All of these academies are overseen by a policy board made up of senior members of the Departments of State, Treasury, Justice and Homeland Security who receive recommendations from an ILEA steering committee. Primary funding for the ILEA’s is through the Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs in the State Department. Each of the ILEA’s was established after the U.S. Government reached a bilateral agreement with the host country. There is also an ILEA in Roswell, New Mexico, that provides advanced training for the graduates of the other academies.

As early as 1997, the U.S. Government began a search for a host country for the International Law Enforcement Academy to be established in Latin America. The International Law Enforcement Academy, San Salvador became a reality when the Salvadoran legislature ratified the bilateral agreement which had been signed on September 20, 2005, by U.S. Ambassador Douglas Barclay and Salvadoran Minister of Government Rene Figueroa.

Plans to construct an ILEA training facility are underway. Until such time as they are complete and ready for use, the ILEA will conduct classes at the Facilities of the National Public Security Academy (ANSP) in Santa Tecla and Comalapa.

As all of the ILEA’s, the ILEA, SS has as its objectives, supporting criminal justice institution building and strengthening partnerships among the regions’ law enforcement community. The training focus is on transnational crimes, human rights and the rule of law with emphasis on trafficking in narcotics, trafficking in persons, terrorism, money laundering and other financial crimes. Thus far, ILEA, SS has conducted 14 six-week core programs and 53 specialized programs in the region.