US embassy cable - 03TEGUCIGALPA2916

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 002916 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR INL/LP, WHA/PPC, AND WHA/CEN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KCRM, SNAR, KJUS, EFIN, ETRD, HO 
SUBJECT: EMBASSY TEGUCIGALPA HOSTS MINI-DUBLIN GROUP 
MEETING; USG ONLY SIGNIFICANT DONOR FOR COUNTERNARCOTICS 
 
 
1. Summary. On December 5, Post hosted a meeting of the 
Tegucigalpa Mini-Dublin Group to coordinate with 
participating countries on counternarcotics assistance 
programs and the overall effectiveness of such programs. 
Along with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), 
countries that participated in the meeting include: the 
United States; United Kingdom; Japan; France; Spain; Sweden; 
Germany; and Italy.  Discussion among participants provided a 
comprehensive examination of trends,threats, and 
counternarcotic assistance to Honduras.  End Summary. 
 
2. Post hosted a meeting December 5 of the Tegucigalpa 
Mini-Dublin Group to coordinate with participating countries 
on counternarcotics assistance programs and the overall 
effectiveness of such programs.  The meeting began with 
members of the Embassy briefing the other countries. 
According to DEA, the most common and preferred method of 
transporting illegal narcotics is maritime go-fasts coming 
from Colombia (San Andreas Island), refueling off the 
Caribbean coast of Honduras, and then continuing to Mexico 
and the United States.  Using small planes to transport 
narcotics is the second most common manner that drugs pass 
through Honduras destined for the United States.  Planes land 
in Gracias a Dios, a remote northeasterm region of Honduras, 
using clandestine runways.  The least preferable method of 
transportation is by land, via the Pan-American highway, 
which is estimated to be used only 10 percent of the time, 
compared to air at 30 percent, and maritime at 60 percent. 
 
 
3. Representatives from countries attending the meeting were 
interested in a wide range of issues, including:  the 
systematic process of shipping the drugs from their point of 
origin to the final destination; who benefits from the 
transit process, and how much; the trend in the number of 
shipments each year; and whether or not authorities' efforts 
were impacting the market price of drugs.  Methods of 
transportation, the economics of the drug trade, corruption, 
and the correlation between crime and drugs were other topics 
discussed at the meeting. 
 
4. The support offered by participating countries varies 
greatly.  The U.S. is by far the greatest provider of both 
direct and financial counternarcotics assistance to the 
Government of Honduras (GOH).  Currently, the U.S. has a USD 
2,750,000 assistance program for counternarcotics and police 
assistance aimed at helping the Ministry of Public Security, 
particularly the Frontier Police, to aid the fight against 
drug trafficking and to improve the police overall.  The U.S. 
also has a USD 250,000 program to help the GOH more 
effectively investigate money laundering.  For the past year, 
the U.S. has been helping the Organized Crime Unit of the 
Public Ministry, the Frontier Police, and the Financial 
Information Unit. The new Port Security Initiative will help 
better control trafficking in persons, terrorism, money 
laundering, and other transnational crimes. 
 
5. At the present time, no other participating Mini-Dublin 
country has any special programs to help combat 
narco-trafficking.  Spain primarily focuses on strengthening 
government organizations, socio-economic issues, and reducing 
the demand for drugs.  France does not work directly in the 
war against drugs in Honduras, but offers some assistance to 
police.  Japan provides minor technical assistance.  The 
United Kingdom has two agents in Panama that work closely 
with Honduran police, although their focus is Jamaica, which 
serves as the transit point for most drugs entering Western 
Europe.  The UNDP has an agreement with the European Union to 
identify and prevent trade in precursor chemicals, for which 
the UNDP spends ten million euros annually in the entire 
Central Amercian region.  Sweden provides funding to the 
forensics department of the Public Ministry, but is delaying 
any further aid until the next Attorney General is selected 
early next year.  Germany has donated communications 
equipment and computers to the police and is currently 
considering assisting the K-9 unit.  Italy provides no direct 
assistance to the GOH, but does provide some cooperation 
within the region. 
Palmer