VZCZCXYZ0006
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHGT #0465/01 1062157
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 152157Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 5153

UNCLAS GUATEMALA 000465 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR PM/DTCC- BLUE LANTERN COORDINATOR 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETTC KMOC GT
SUBJECT: GUATEMALA: BLUE LANTERN 050062674 AND 050095703 
 
REF: STATE 35779 
 
¶1.  Summary:  On April 11, Poloff accompanied PM/DTCC 
Officers Judd Stitziel and Kyle Ballard on the post-shipment 
end-use check of STI Guatemala per Reftel A.  Officers toured 
the STI Office and met with STI owner Estuardo Gomez.  STI 
has yet to receive the 100 .22 caliber handguns authorized 
under export license 050062674 and 050095703, but Gomez 
stated that the weapons were in Miami awaiting confirmation 
of export license 050095703.  STI appears to be a legitimate 
arms import company that sells high-end handguns mainly to 
students of Mr. Gomez's primary business, which is offering 
handgun safety and training classes.  STI appears to follow 
all local regulations and Post has no derogatory information 
that would prejudice future import license requests. End 
Summary. 
 
 
¶2.  On April 11, Poloff accompanied PM/DTCC Officers Judd 
Stitziel and Kyle Ballard on the post-shipment end-use check 
of STI Guatemala per Reftel A.  The STI Office at 17 Avenida 
28-73, Zone 11, Guatemala City, is located on in a 
residential neighborhood.  STI owner Estuardo Gomez was open 
and frank regarding the details of his business, and showed 
officers his records and facility without hesitation.  Gomez 
claimed that he originally filed license request 050062674 to 
import 100 .22 caliber handguns to sell to students of his 
self defense/gun safety school.  He added that this license 
expired prior to delivery of the weapons, which forced him to 
file license request 055095703.  He claims that the weapons 
are still waiting in Miami for shipment, and he was unaware 
that license 055095703 had been approved.  He also pointed 
out that he had filed several other import requests for .40 
caliber and 9mm handguns to which he was awaiting response, 
although he acknowledged that such requests were not often 
approved by U.S. authorities.  He said that once the 100 
handguns arrived in country it would take at least one-month 
for them to clear customs and DECAM (Guatemala's agency 
responsible for arms control).  He added that he already had 
buyers for many of the guns and expected to sell all 100 
handguns in under two months. 
 
¶3.  Mr. Gomez stated that his primary business is providing 
gun safety and marksmanship classes, which he says grew out 
of his long career competing in international shooting 
competitions.  He claims to be one of the top-five shooters 
in the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC), 
and that he travels to the U.S. every year for competitions. 
The walls of his office boast a large number of plaques and 
trophies from around the world supporting his claims to being 
a well-known marksman, which he says helps him attract 
students.  The tour of the STI office included the small but 
secure walk-in gun locker that had survived a recent burglary 
attempt, and office space that will be converted into a gun 
sales outlet if the company can increase the number of 
weapons imported from the U.S. 
 
¶4.  Gomez claimed, and his DECAM-certified records 
corroborated, that he specializes in selling high-end 
handguns.  He said that "my customers wear Rolexes and drive 
BMWs, they can afford the best and don't mind paying for it." 
 He stated that over half of the weapons in Guatemala were 
not imported legally or registered with DECAM, and added that 
the vast majority of gun crime did not link back to weapons 
legally imported.  He argued that U.S. restrictions on gun 
importation hurt legitimate businessmen, but did nothing to 
reduce the number of guns on Guatemalan streets.  He added 
that countries like Turkey and Israel supplied large numbers 
of cheap handguns to Guatemala, and that it was these guns as 
Qof cheap handguns to Guatemala, and that it was these guns as 
opposed to expensive U.S. handguns that ended up being used 
in crimes. 
 
¶5.  Gomez stated that the majority of his customers purchased 
handguns for self protection, and that while as part of his 
training course he recommends small .22 caliber handguns, 
many of his clients preferred large (and shiny) .40 caliber 
handguns.  He also pointed out that IPSC and other 
international shooting organizations use .40 caliber handguns 
in competition.  To meet the needs of his customers and 
supply handguns for competitions he claims to have submitted 
several export applications for .40 caliber handguns that 
have routinely been turned down.  He pointed out that a .40 
caliber STI Edge handgun could be purchased for upwards of 
$5,000 on the black market and subsequently registered (made 
legal) with DECAM.  He believes he could buy the same gun for 
$1,250 in the U.S., pay $200 in shipping and transport costs, 
and sell it for upwards of $2,500, making a good profit while 
reducing the black market gun trade in Guatemala. 
 
 
¶6.  Comment:  Gomez's small handgun sales business seems to 
be a legitimate offshoot of his main business activity and 
Post has no derogatory information about STI Guatemala.  Post 
would not oppose future sales of .22 caliber handguns to STI 
Guatemala, but would recommend against sales larger than 100 
units until STI Guatemala adds an additional gun safe inside 
the company's walk-in gun locker to accommodate the weapons. 
End Comment. 
 
 
¶7.  This message was cleared by PM/DTCC K. Ballard prior to 
transmission. 
 
Derham