US embassy cable - 04TEGUCIGALPA265

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 000265 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR INL/LP AND WHA/CEN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR, PGOV, KCRM, KJUS, SOCI, HO 
SUBJECT: HONDURAS SEIZES 90 MORE KILOS OF COCAINE; 2004 
TOTAL IS UP TO 1,117.5 KILOS 
 
REF: A. TEGUCIGALPA 209 
 
     B. TEGUCIGALPA 203 
     C. TEGUCIGALPA 193 
     D. TEGUCIGALPA 179 
     E. TEGUCIGALPA 80 
 
1. On January 31 Honduran police seized 15 kilos of cocaine 
in Bonito Oriental, and on February 1 the police seized 
another 75 kilos in Balfate.  Both towns are on the Caribbean 
coast of Honduras near Trujillo.  In addition, in the 
February 1 action police arrested five suspects, and seized 
cash and weapons. 
 
2.  These seizures, combined with previous seizures of 
approximately 25 kilos from an aircraft on January 20 (refs 
A-D) and approximately 1,000 kilos from an aircraft January 
10 (ref E), and a small seizure of 2.5 kilos January 8 from a 
bus in Choluteca make a total of approximately 1,117.5 kilos 
seized in 2004.  (Note:  Honduran authorities believe the 
plane that crashed January 20 was carrying approximately 
1,000 kilos, but most of it was either dropped from the plane 
prior to the crash or burned in the crash.  End Note.) 
 
3. The January 31/February 1 seizures represent more 
successfully coordinated efforts between the military and the 
INL-funded Frontier Police (as well as the Preventative 
Police), who have been working jointly in an unprecedented 
capacity recently. 
PALMER