Guatemala City, Guatemala, 11 July 2025
The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), through its Global Rapid Interdiction of Dangerous Substances (GRIDS) Programme, contributed to a regional training on diversion investigations led by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and supported by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).
Held from 14 to 18 July 2025, the course brought together law enforcement and regulatory officers from Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Panama. The training aimed to build regional capacity to prevent and detect the diversion of related chemicals used in the illicit manufacture of synthetic drugs, including fentanyl and its analogues, and to strengthen intelligence sharing and international cooperation among participating countries.
At the invitation of the DEA and the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala, the INCB GRIDS Programme delivered presentations on its operational tools and platforms, including IONICS, GRIDS Intel and the AI-powered SNOOP system. Participants received access to these tools, enabling them to gather and share real-time information on suspicious shipments, emerging synthetic substances, and chemicals of concern.
By strengthening technical knowledge and fostering cross-border collaboration, the initiative supported regional efforts to counter synthetic drug threats at an early stage of production and trafficking. This collaboration underscored the importance of multilateral coordination in tackling the evolving synthetic drug challenge and demonstrated the operational value of GRIDS tools in frontline training and enforcement efforts.
Participation of the INCB GRIDS Programme was made possible through generous support of the United States Government, Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement.
The Global Rapid Interdiction of Dangerous Substances (GRIDS) Programme and Project ION and OPIOIDS Project operate under the International Narcotics Control Board's unique Article 35 (1961) treaty mandate that supports Governments' capabilities to exchange information on trafficking, illicit manufacture, marketing and sales of NPS, synthetic opioids, fentanyls and related chemicals, by providing real-time communication, and capabilities to facilitate information exchange and intelligence development with the aim to interdict distribution of dangerous substances.
Click here to learn more about the GRIDS Programme
Click here to learn more about the OPIOIDS Project
Click here to learn more about the Project ION
