US embassy cable - 04BOGOTA9358

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BOGOTA 009358 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR INL/LP 
 
E.O 12358: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR, PREL, MOPS, MASS, PGOV, CO 
SUBJECT:  AUGUST AIR BRIDGE DENIAL UPDATE: ABD COMPLETES 
FIRST YEAR OF OPERATIONS 
 
REF:  A. 2003 STATE 265910 
 
1. (U) Summary: This is the August 2004 Air Bridge Denial 
(ABD) activity report required by ref A.  This message also 
includes an overview of the program's achievements in its 
first year.  During August, there were two Phase III events 
and two Phase I events, including one arrested pilot.  There 
were 3583 tracks, of which 32 were declared Unidentified, 
Assumed Suspect (UAS). Areas of concern include P-3 
surveillance aircraft availability and decreased Relocatable 
Over-the Horizon Radar (ROTHR) tracks.  End Summary. 
 
ABD Tracks 
---------- 
 
2. (U) In August, 2004, 3583 tracks were identified over 
Colombia, of which 32 were declared Unidentified, Assumed 
Suspect (UAS) aircraft.  The GOC did not react to 19 UAS: 
seven were too close to international waters; five were near 
international borders; three were subsequently identified as 
friendly; information on two was too old or insufficient; 
and two were in areas covered with weather.  The GOC reacted 
to 13 UAS, nine of which were not located by the trackers. 
Phase I was conducted on two: one was identified as friendly 
and one resulted in the pilot's arrest.  Phase III events 
were conducted on August 8 and 24. 
 
Law Enforcement End Game 
------------------------ 
 
3.  (SBU) On August 31, 2004, the Carepa Radar (Northern 
Colombia) picked up a track westbound towards the Pacific 
coast.  A Citation tracker was scrambled to locate it and 
the UAS was detected 90 minutes after it disappeared from 
radar.  A UH-60 gunship was scrambled and joined up on the 
Citation and the UAS.  The UAS responded to Phase I calls 
and proceeded to land at Santa Fe de Antioquia, where the 
Gunship also landed and waited until Colombian National 
Police arrived, impounded the aircraft, and arrested the 
pilot. 
 
Phase III Events 
---------------- 
 
4.  (SBU) On August 8, 2004, ROTHR picked up a track inbound 
to Colombia in the Dog's Head area (southeastern Colombia.) 
A Citation and an AC-47 were scrambled from Apiay air base 
in Meta Department.  A second Citation was eventually 
launched to relieve the first one.  The AC-47 sighted the 
UAS on the ground, concealed in vegetation with engines 
showing as two hot spots.  Phase I was completed and Phase 
II was requested and completed with no response.  Phase III 
was then completed by the AC-47 with no indication of the 
aircraft being disabled.  The AC-47 then returned to base to 
refuel, an OV-10 conducted Phase III with no visible results 
and returned to base.   The AC-47 refueled, returned, and 
completed Phase III with an apparent hit, as smoke was 
observed and the aircraft was presumed destroyed.  A 
Citation was overhead during these actions. 
 
5.  (SBU) August 24, 2004.  Based on GOC Intelligence, a 
Citation sighted a helicopter parked in an illegal field in 
Northern Antioquia Department and concealed with a tarp.  A 
Bell 212 helicopter gunship was launched.   No ground forces 
were launched due to security situation in the area. Phases 
I and II were conducted without receiving any response or 
seeing movement in the area and the Bell 212 proceeded with 
Phase III and destroyed the target. 
 
August Activity 
--------------- 
 
6.  (SBU) There was limited P-3 surveillance aircraft 
activity over Colombia during August and for the months of 
June, July, and August there was a 25 percent decrease in 
ROTHR tracks, probably due to atmospheric conditions.  The 
three Citations flew a total of 187 Hours in August.  Fifty 
percent of the August sorties were in response to GOC 
intelligence, 20 percent in response to ROTHR tracks, and 13 
percent for P-3 support. 
 
First Year of ABD operations 
---------------------------- 
 
7. (SBU) From the beginning of the program to the end of 
August, there have been seven Phase I events, five Phase II 
events, and 17 Phase III events.  Eighteen aircraft have 
been destroyed, two pilots have been arrested and one died 
when the aircraft crashed trying to land.  Five other 
crewmembers were arrested.  This compares favorably to the 
average of 16 aircraft destroyed per year during the six 
years of the previous air interdiction program.  Under the 
previous program, any FAC aircraft anywhere in Colombian 
Airspace could perform an intercept.  Under the current ABD 
program, more stringent procedures are in effect, including 
the requirement that an ABD tracker be present to initiate 
an ABD event.  In effect, three aircraft are interdicting 
aerial drug trafficking over an area the combined size of 
Texas and California.  By the end of CY 2004, we expect the 
number of ABD trackers to double, with a seventh tracker 
expected to arrive early 2005. 
 
8. (U) An Interim Program Review (IPR) was held August 24 in 
Bogota.  The next ABD IPR will be September 22, also in 
Bogota. 
DRUCKER