Maritime pressure against arms shipments to Guatemala

The Guatemalan case combines maritime operations with pressure on third-country shipping. To prevent the government from importing arms while a CIA-organized revolution developed, the United States instituted a naval blockade and air-sea patrols in the Gulf of Honduras. Britain was also induced to discourage British ships from carrying weapons. Cable classifies the effort as successful. The case shows how interdiction, surveillance, and diplomacy can reinforce one another in a coercive campaign.