NARCOTICS AFFAIRS SECTION GIVES RECOGNITION TO RED DEVILS

The Narcotics Affairs Section (NAS) of the U.S. Embassy in Bolivia gave a special recognition to several members of the Red Devils Air Task Force, who on December 25 rescued four people, two of them children, isolated by the flooding caused by the Piraí River, in Santa Cruz. The rescue took place near Km. 6 of the old road to Cochabamba.

The crew of the helicopter in charge of the rescue included Major German Lavado Aguilera, Captain Valentin Camacho, technical officer Ruben Lopez Flores, Sergeant Limbert Vargas Tito, and SAR-FAB rescue specialist Ever Sejas.

“With the propellers of your helicopter you have given the hope of life to those who seemed already lost. This, more that a Christmas gift, is a gift of life,” said NAS Director Joseph Manso, who gave the special recognition to the crew members.

So far, the Red Devils Air Task Force has accrued 1,900 hours of flight in humanitarian missions. Since it was established in 1987, the task force has rescued and transported approximately 2,000 people during natural disasters, accidents, lost aircraft incidents, and medical evacuations.

The mission of the Red Devils Air Task Force is to provide aerial support to counternarcotics activities implemented by the specialized counter-drug Bolivian police (FELCN) and by the Social Defense Secretariat. To that end, the Red Devils use property of the U.S. Government, such as helicopters and airplanes. The Bolivian Government provides human resources and infrastructure.