Arreaga-Rodas, Luis, 1952-

<p>Luis Edmundo Arreaga-Rodas (born 1952) is a Guatemalan American diplomat and government official who serves as the United States Ambassador to Guatemala. He previously served as United States Ambassador to Iceland from 2010 until 2013. In January 2016, he was appointed Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. In June 2017, President Donald Trump nominated Arreaga to become the United States Ambassador to Guatemala. This nomination was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on August 3, 2017.</p>

<p>Arreaga was born in Guatemala City in 1952 to a migrant worker and an elementary school teacher. At age 18 immigrated to the US and began attending Milwaukee Area Technical College. Arreaga transferred to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where he earned a bachelor's degree in 1976 and a master's in management and a Ph.D in economics in 1981.</p>

<p>He previously served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the United States Embassy in Panama; U.S. Consul General in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; and as director of the Executive Secretariat Staff at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. He has also served as Deputy Director of the State Department's Operations Center and Special Assistant to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs. Other overseas postings include United States Mission to the United Nations in Geneva, the United States Embassy in Spain, and the Agency for International Development in Peru, El Salvador, and Honduras.</p>

<p>He became a U.S. citizen in 1975.</p>

<p>Luis E. Arreaga was confirmed by the United States Senate as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Guatemala on August 3, 2017 and arrived in Guatemala City on October 3, 2017. Ambassador Arreaga is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service.</p>

<p>Prior to this appointment, Ambassador Arreaga served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs from November, 2013 to September, 2017. In this capacity he was responsible for State Department programs combating illicit drugs and organized crime, as well as support for law enforcement and rule of law in the Western Hemisphere.</p>

<p>Ambassador Arreaga also served as United States Ambassador to the Republic of Iceland from 2010 to 2013. As Minister Counselor, Ambassador Arreaga led State Department efforts to recruit and hire the largest increase in Foreign Service personnel in the U.S. State Department history.</p>

<p>He previously served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the United States Embassy in Panama, U.S. Consul General in Vancouver, Canada and as director of the Executive Secretariat Staff at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. He has also served as Deputy Director of the State Department´s Operations Center and Special Assistant to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs. Other overseas postings include United States Mission to the United Nations in Geneva, the United States Embassy in Spain, and the Agency for International Development in Peru, El Salvador, and Honduras.</p>

<p>Luis Arreaga was born and raised in Guatemala before immigrating to the United States. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee where he received a Ph.D. in economics and a Master’s Degree in Management.</p>