US embassy cable - 03TEGUCIGALPA2052

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEGUCIGALPA 002052 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR INL/LP, INR/AN/IAA, DRL/PHD, EB, AND L 
STATE FOR WHA, WHA/CEN, AND WHA/PPC 
STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CEN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/28/2013 
TAGS: SNAR, PGOV, PREL, PINR, KJUS, KCRM, ECON, HO 
SUBJECT: HONDURAN ATTORNEY GENERAL PLEDGES ENHANCED 
COOPERATION AND FOLLOW THROUGH ON KEY NARCOTICS/CORRUPTION 
CASES 
 
REF: TEGUCIGALPA 1615 
 
Classified By: Political Section Chief Francisco L. Palmieri; 
Reasons 1.5 (B) and (D) 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY:  Ambassador told Honduran Attorney General 
(AG) Roy Medina August 26 that he was satisfied that the AG 
had taken action to improve the Public Ministry's operations 
since their last meeting in late June.  However, he pressed 
AG Medina on the importance of the Ministry bringing to trial 
and winning convictions in some pending high-profile cases. 
He told the AG that it is essential that the Ministry make 
progress in these areas in order to maintain a productive 
relationship with the U.S.  While this meeting cleared the 
air and let the AG know that follow through is absolutely 
necessary, the sad reality is that the AG may well continue 
to do the bare minimum to meet our concerns while seeking to 
run out the clock on his term of office without offending any 
of the large organized crime, drug trafficking, and corrupt 
interests in the country.  This is indicative of the current 
state of affairs in one of the critical institutions of the 
Honduran judicial system.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (C)  Ambassador and Deputy Chief of Mission met with 
Honduran Attorney General Medina over lunch at the 
Ambassador's residence August 26 to discuss the Embassy's 
continuing concern about the poor performance of the Public 
Ministry (PM) in combating organized crime, narcotics 
trafficking, corruption and money laundering and the status 
of U.S. cooperation with the PM.  The Ambassador told Medina 
that he was satisfied that the AG had taken action to improve 
the Ministry's operations since their last meeting in late 
June (see reftel).  He gave Medina credit for launching a 
serious effort to improve the operation of the Ministry's 
Organized Crime Unit (OCU).  The Ambassador specifically 
cited the removal of the OCU Chief, Mario Chinchilla, and his 
deputy, Rafael Soto, as important first steps, noting that 
the Embassy had lost confidence in them as effective law 
enforcement interlocutors. 
 
3. (C)  The Ambassador pointed out that the OCU needed to 
bring to trial and win convictions in some high-profile cases 
in order to establish much needed credibility.  The 
Ambassador cited recent cases involving Honduran congressmen 
who had been implicated in narcotics cases, including the 
case of Avila Panchame.  AG Medina agreed that the OCU needed 
to improve its record but cautioned that the case against 
Avila Panchame was still a problem.  He pointed out that no 
drugs had yet been found from the plane crash and tests for 
the presence of drugs in the vehicles had been negative.  He 
also mentioned that the PM would be pursuing its corruption 
case against former Commander in Chief of the Honduran 
military Hung Pacheco and cases against prominent Hondurans 
involved in bank failures. 
 
4. (C)  The Ambassador then outlined several key law 
enforcement issues that remain a concern for U.S. policy 
goals and assistance objectives with the Public Ministry.  He 
underscored the importance of establishing a strong working 
relationship the PM's Fight Against Drugs Directorate (DLCN) 
and its new director, General Julian Gonzalez Irias (ret.), 
specifically warning Medina the Embassy would not have much 
patience for an obstructionist in the position.  He told 
Medina the planned transfer of the INL-funded canine and boat 
projects from the DLCN to the Ministry of Public Security's 
Frontier Police was designed to better align those projects 
with the GOH entities that were best able to support them 
operationally and budgetarily.  He also raised our concern 
about the PM's staffing of the Financial Investigative Unit 
(FIU) and the need for a more aggressive asset forfeiture 
effort.  He told Medina there were at least USD 840,000 in 
cash and over a million dollars in captured aircraft, boats, 
and property that could be used by the GOH in the 
counternarcotics program.  The Ambassador also mentioned the 
different pending drug trafficking cases that the Embassy is 
tracking.  He told AG Medina that it is essential that the PM 
make progress in these areas in order to maintain a 
productive relationship with the U.S., stressing that the 
U.S. wanted to work together with the PM. 
 
5. (C)  AG Roy Medina responded that he was committed to 
attacking these pending drug trafficking cases and that he 
shared the Embassy's goals and objectives.  He said his 
Ministry wanted to work closely with the Embassy and asked 
that a single Embassy point of contact be designated as the 
PM liaison in order to get the PM's side of the story 
whenever a law enforcement or prosecutorial action was being 
questioned.  He confessed that it has been difficult to 
obtain fully satisfactory results for many reasons, such as 
lack of experienced prosecutors, insufficient police work in 
collecting needed evidence, and public corruption.  With 
regard to the transfer of the INL-funded canine and boat 
projects, he claimed that Vice President Armida Lopez 
Contreras, as head of the National Anti-Drug Council, would 
have to have the final say and that the GOH would insist on 
following the process outlined in the 2000 letter of 
agreement.  He also admitted that much remains to be done on 
the financial crimes cases. The work of the FIU is very 
important. 
 
6. (C)  The Ambassador reviewed USG assistance programs 
planned for the PM in the short and medium term, stressing 
that continued progress was essential to ensuring our 
continued support. 
 
7. (C)  COMMENT:  AG Medina has made a real effort to respond 
to the Embassy's concerns and to improve the PM's ability to 
perform its functions during the last two months.  This 
meeting cleared the air while letting him know that follow 
through was absolutely necessary and that his Ministry needs 
to continue to act on many of the pending legal cases in 
order to demonstrate its partnership with the U.S.  However, 
the sad reality is that AG Medina may well continue to do the 
bare minimum to meet our concerns while seeking to run out 
the clock on his term of office (which ends in May 2004) 
without offending any of the large organized crime, drug 
trafficking, and corrupt interests in the country. END 
COMMENT. 
PALMER