In it, Peruvian authorities express their deep regret for the loss of human life and note that they launched an immediate search and rescue mission following the downing of the missionary airplane and are carrying out a thorough investigation. Pending a thorough investigation and review by Peruvian and U.S officials of how this tragic incident took place, the provision of location data by the U.S. and the conduct of interdiction flights by Peru have been suspended. An unarmed U.S. government tracking aircraft was in the area and provided location data for the subsequent intercept mission that was conducted by the Peruvian Air Force. For a number of years, the U.S. has provided assistance to Peru in detecting and monitoring suspect aircraft passing through designated airspace in an effort to stem the flow of illegal drugs. This is a U.S. government program in which a number of U.S. agencies are involved, including the State Department, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Department of Defense, the Drug Enforcement Agency, and others.
Peruvian authorities are responsible for identifying the aircraft and deciding on any action.
We are working closely with Peruvian authorities to determine exactly how this tragic incident took place.