El Zapote Airstrip

Military Intervention and Illicit Use. El Zapote Airstrip (GT-0037) was identified by Guatemalan and allied intelligence as a clandestine or 'narco' airstrip. It was a key logistical point in the air bridge used by transnational drug trafficking organizations to move cocaine from South America to Mexico, and ultimately to the United States. The Guatemalan Army, often in coordination with the Ministry of the Interior and with support from U.S. agencies, has a standing policy to locate and disable such illegal runways. The closure was a physical act of destruction, where the military's Corps of Engineers used explosives to crater the runway, making it impossible for aircraft to land or take off.

Destroyed and Overgrown. The site of the former airstrip is unusable for aviation. Satellite imagery of the coordinates confirms the presence of a linear clearing consistent with a runway, but it is heavily cratered and being reclaimed by the surrounding jungle. It is not maintained, and access is likely difficult and restricted due to its location and history of illicit activity. The area remains under surveillance by Guatemalan military forces to prevent attempts at reconstruction.

The airstrip's significance is not in legitimate aviation but in its role within regional organized crime. It was never a public or officially sanctioned private airport. Located strategically in the remote, sparsely populated, and densely forested Petén Department, near the Mexican border, it was an ideal location for covert operations.

When active, it handled small to medium-sized, single and twin-engine aircraft (such as Cessna 210s, Piper PA-31s, and Beechcraft King Airs) loaded with narcotics. These flights typically occurred at night to avoid detection. The airstrip was part of a vast network of similar clandestine runways scattered throughout the Maya Biosphere Reserve, representing a major challenge to Guatemalan national security and conservation efforts in the protected area.

Effectively zero. There are no plans or prospects for reopening El Zapote Airstrip for any legitimate purpose. The Guatemalan government's official policy is to destroy these airstrips to disrupt trafficking routes. Any attempt to repair the runway would be an illegal act and would almost certainly be detected and met with a swift response from the Guatemalan military. Given its sole purpose was for criminal enterprise, there is no economic or social incentive for the government or any legal entity to invest in its reconstruction.