Cablegate: Lima Nas Monthly Report - July

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RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHPE #1314/01 2202135
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 072135Z AUG 08
FM AMEMBASSY LIMA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9113
INFO RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 2014
RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 5900
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 7915
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 3447
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 1204
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ AUG MEXICO 3666
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 2014

UNCLAS LIMA 001314

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR INL/LP
STATE FOR WHA/PPC
ONDCP FOR LT COL RONALD GARNER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SNAR KCRM ASEC PREL PE
SUBJECT: LIMA NAS MONTHLY REPORT - JULY

1. (U) Summary:

-- New NAS Director Arrives

-- Rumors of major changes in GOP ministries and PNP amount
to nothing

-- FAP Joins Eradication Efforts

-- Deputy Director visits Counter Narcotics Base and FAP
Radar site in Puerto Maldonado

-- Aviation Safety Day Conducted

-- Joint Peruvian/Brazilian Air Bridge Denial Exercise
concluded

-- Dyncorp International Vice President visits NAS Lima

-- Correction to June End of Month Report on Airport
seizures

-- Ports Program Report

-- DEA/NAS supported Chemical Unit seizures

-- Eradication for July and looking ahead

-- DIRANDRO seizures and coca leaf prices for July

-----------------------
New NAS Director Arrives
-----------------------

2. (U) New NAS Director, Abelardo A. Arias, arrived at post
July 29 and has assumed all NAS Director duties.

--------------------------------------------- ---------
Rumors of major changes in GOP ministries and PNP amount to
nothing
--------------------------------------------- ---------

3. (U) July rumors of a possible major shake up of key NAS
ministerial and PNP contacts proved to be baseless, and
NAS-GOP cooperation continues as before.

--------------------------------
FAP supports Eradication efforts
--------------------------------

4. (U) For the first time in recent memory, eradication
operations were supported not only with the usual PNP MI-17,
but also with a FAP MI-17. NAS Lima has been pushing for FAP
support, which came at a crucial time, so as to counteract
the continued lack of PNP MI-17 support for eradication
located furthest away from the FOL. This operation was a
success not only because the support was provided, but
because there was true, unprecedented cooperation between the
FAP and the PNP. FAP willingness to engage with NAS and
provide support oens up a whole new range of additional
assets for eradication.

-------------------------------------------
Deputy Director Visits Counter Narcotics Base and FAP Radar
in Puerto Maldonado
--------------------------------------------

5. (U) NAS Deputy Director and several key counter narcotics
PNP personnel visited the Puerto Maldonado PNP counter
narcotics bases as well as the new site of the FAP radar.
The radar, capable of scanning parts of Bolivia and
Brazil, was recently moved from Pucallpa to Puerto Maldonado
and is supported by DOD/MAAG with communications into
JIATF-South.

-------------------
Aviation Safety Day
-------------------

6. (U) US and Peruvian aviation safety officers conducted a
joint aviation stand down on 15 July to emphasize the
importance of ground and air safety and raise awareness of
accident prevention. The last accident occurred 7 April in
Santa Lucia with the hard landing of a UH-2 by two PNP
instructor pilots practicing emergency procedures.

------------------------------------------
Joint Peruvian/Brazilian Air Bridge Denial Exercise Concluded
------------------------------------------

7. (U) Peruvian (FAP) and Brazilian (FAB) Air Forces
completed a successful five day joint Air Bridge Denial (ABD)
exercise in Pucallpa July 21 to 25. The exercise focused on
communications, tracking, and information exchange between
the FAP and FAB to include the handing off of targets moving
cross border. FAP and FAB personnel flew aboard each other's
aircraft and exchanged liaison officers. NAS provided
facilities support for the FAP aircraft and crew involved in
the exercise.

--------------------------------------------- -------
Dyncorp International Vice President Visits NAS Lima
--------------------------------------------- -------

9. (U) The current Dyncorp International contract in support
of helicopter operations is under review by Air Wing for
renewal in November 2008. In light of this, Mike Bozeman,
Vice President of Dyncorp responsible for international
contracts visited NAS Lima 21 to 25 July to discuss the
quality and terms of the new contract.

--------------------------------------------- -------------
Correction to June End of Month Report on Airport Seizures
--------------------------------------------- -------------

10. (U) Due to various reasons and complications, the cocaine
seizure amounts at the ports for June were underreported to
NAS Lima. Post has since received the correct figures as
224.058 kilos of seized cocaine as opposed to the 100.36
kilos previously reported.

---------------------
Ports Program Report
---------------------

11. (U) Peruvian Customs (SUNAT) and the PNP at Jorge Chavez
Airport, Customs SERPOST and the port of Callao seized 191.24
kilos of cocaine during the month of July. Of the 543
outbound airport passengers selected for pre-departure
inspection with the NAS sponsored body scanner, 17 were found
to be internal drug carriers bound for the US or European
markets; each carrying approximately 900 grams of cocaine.
SUNAT authorities detained an arriving Polish passenger who
had only declared 10,520 of the full 79,520 euros and 270
zlotys he carried. In a separate case, SUNAT discovered and
detained 36,000 counterfeit US dollars hidden inside books
bound for export to the US. Both cases have been turned over
to the Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) and the National
Directorate for Crime (DIRENCRI) for investigation and
eventual prosecution. SUNAT authorities stationed at SERPOST
report the seizure of a package bound for Canada containing
two Peruvian diplomatic passports as
well as another package in route to Germany which was found
to contain 30 false passports from various countries.
Details on both of these cases are still pending.

----------------------------------------
DEA/NAS Supported Chemical Unit Seizures
----------------------------------------

12. (U) The DEA lead, NAS supported Chemical Unit conducted a
ground operation along the Rio Monzon targeting rustic
laboratories believed to belong to Tingo Maria drug
traffickers. Eleven such laboratories were found, but
abandoned, and 330 kilos of muriatic acid (Black Market Value
of 1,155 USD) and 874 kilos of kerosene (Black Market Value
of 6,555 USD) were uncovered and seized.

13. (U) In July, the Chemical Unit working in Tingo Maria
seized approximately one metric ton of muriatic acid (Black
Market Value of 3,500 USD), a 2007 Mercedes-Benz cargo truck
(valued at 80,000 USD) and arrested two individuals in
conjunction with the seizures.

-----------------------------------
Eradication Report and Plans for August
-----------------------------------

14. (U) In July, CORAH eradicated 979.99 hectares of illegal
coca, bringing the year to date total to 6176.18 hectares.
Thirteen cocaine base labs were also destroyed by PNP
providing security to CORAH workers. Additionally, CORAH
returned to Sion for the first time since eradication
operations were suspended in the region in 2006. The
operation, named Operation Susan by CORAH in honor of the
departing NAS Director. Eradicators worked in two groups so
as to cover more ground, however, two sectors south of Sion
remain unfinished. CORAH will return to these sectors in
August. Also during the month of August, CORAH plans to
operate in an area known as Bolson de San Martin which is
located directly north of Aucayacu, though still part of the
San Martin Department. CORAH will continue to work in this
area until the new base camp is completed allowing for
eradication operations in the Aucayacu Area.

----------------------------
Nationwide DIRANDRO Seizures
----------------------------

15. (U) Nationwide, DIRANDRO reports the destruction of 702
cocaine-base and 13 HCL cocaine laboratories, the seizure of
14 metric tons of various types of illegal drugs, and 28
metric tons of precursor chemicals. In Palmapampa alone, PNP
base personnel destroyed 98 rustic laboratories and seized
700 kilograms of 15 various precursor chemicals, the largest
amount being Kerosene.

---------------
Coca Leaf Prices
---------------

16. (U) The price of coca leaf continues to fluctuate. The
price of coca leaf per 'arroba' during the month of July was
approximately 33 USD in the Huallaga Valley and 21 USD in the
VRAE. NOTE: 'Arroba' is a local unit of measurement equal to
2.1 kilos.

----------------------------------
NAS Programs Office Continues Reorganization
----------------------------------
17. (U) The NAS Programs Office for Demand Reduction, Media
and Communications, Money Laundering, and ILEA continues its
reorganization and the NAS Programs Officer has completed her
orientation. Additionally, the new Media and Communications
advisor is expected to begin in August.
MCKINLEY

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