US embassy cable - 04BOGOTA4820

UNCLAS BOGOTA 004820 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR INL AND WHA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR, PTER, MOPS, CO 
SUBJECT: COUNTER DRUG BRIGADE CAPTURES TWO HCL LABS IN 
NARINO 
 
 
1. (SBU) ON APRIL 25 AND 28, THE 2ND BATTALION OF THE PLAN 
COLOMBIA SUPPORTED COUNTER DRUG (CD) BRIGADE SHUT DOWN TWO 
FARC COCAINE HYDROCHLORIDE (HCL) LABS DURING OPERATION ZEUS 
IN SOUTHERN NARINO DEPARTMENT. 
 
2. THE FIRST LAB, NEAR THE MIRA RIVER AND LLORENTE, HAD FOUR 
CHEMICAL RECYCLING VATS (MARCIANOS) AND FIFTEEN MICROWAVES 
CAPABLE OF PRODUCING FIVE METRIC TONS OF COCAINE HCL PER 
MONTH. THE SECOND LAB, NEAR THE GUIZA RIVER AND LA 
GUAYACANA, HAD THREE MARCIANOS AND EIGHT MICROWAVES CAPABLE 
OF PRODUCING THREE METRIC TONS OF COCAINE HCL A MONTH. 
 
3. INCLEMENT WEATHER HAS PREVENTED THE CD BRIGADE FROM 
HITTING A THIRD PROBABLE HCL LAB BELONGING TO THE AUC. 
 
4. (SBU) THE BATTALION WORKED WITH DEA TO ACT ON INFORMATION 
OBTAINED THROUGH DEA SOURCES. SO FAR THIS YEAR THE CD 
BRIGADE HAS CAPTURED OR DESTROYED SIX COCAINE HCL LABS, OVER 
200 BASE LABS AND SEIZED 76 KGS OF COCAINE HCL AND 449 KGS 
OF COCAINE BASE. 
WOOD