US embassy cable - 05BOGOTA3041

UNCLAS BOGOTA 003041 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR INL/LP 
 
E.O 12358: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR, PREL, MOPS, MASS, PGOV, CO 
SUBJECT:  AIR BRIDGE DENIAL: FEBRUARY 2005 PROGRAM UPDATE 
 
REF:  A. 2003 STATE 265910 
 
1. (U) Summary:  Following is the February 2005 Air Bridge 
Denial (ABD) activity report required by ref A.  There were 
5167 tracks noted, of which 16 were declared Unidentified, 
Assumed Suspect (UAS) Tracks, with one Phase III event/Law 
Enforcement End Game where an aircraft was destroyed and 600 
kilos of cocaine were impounded.  End Summary. 
 
ABD Tracks 
---------- 
 
2. (U) In February 2005, 5167 tracks were noted, of which 16 
were declared UAS aircraft.  This is the lowest monthly 
total since the program started, although the number of 
tracks is among the highest.  The GOC did not react to five 
UAS.  Two were located in weather covered areas, one was 
close to international borders, one was overwater, and one 
had old ROTHR information.  Of the eleven they reacted to, 
one ended in a Phase III event/Law Enforcement End game and 
the tracker was unable to find the remaining ten. 
 
Phase III Event 
---------------- 
3. (SBU) On February 27, a Citation tracker was patrolling 
based on host nation information and picked up a track 
incoming from Venezuela.  An A-37 was scrambled from 
Barranquilla. The target landed at Torcoroma, Cesar 
department, coordinates N0834/W07341.  This is the same 
airfield as the Dec 15, 2004 event.  The aircraft was loaded 
with cargo and took off westbound. The tracker followed and 
an A-37 joined on the chase.  Phase I was accomplished and 
when the interceptor moved abeam of the UAS, the UAS turned 
eastbound.  Phase Two was completed with no answer from the 
UAS.  Phase three was completed with no answer from the UAS. 
After firing at the UAS, the interceptor reported fuel 
streaming from the aircraft, so it stopped firing.  The UAS 
descended and started throwing white packages from the 
aircraft.  It landed at Torcoroma, lost control during 
landing and crashed off the side of the runway.  Three 
individuals left the aircraft. After a while several 
individuals came to the aircraft and started offloading 
packages.  The A-37 completed Phase II warning shots and the 
individuals left the aircraft.  Two Colombian Navy 
Helicopters, one of them a Gunship, deployed to the site. 
The gunship provided cover while the other offloaded five 
individuals who recovered several of the packages.  They 
left to take the packages to a nearby town.  The gunship 
stayed at the site and destroyed the aircraft before leaving 
the area to prevent the remaining drugs to be picked up by 
the traffickers.  Army and Police ground forces eventually 
arrived and recovered more drug packages.  Total cocaine 
impounded was 600 kilos. 
 
Flight Operations 
----------------- 
 
4. (SBU) In February, 2005, the Citations flew 327 hours in 
114 sorties with an operational readiness of 99 percent.  Of 
the 114 sorties, 72 were for GOC ABD intelligence 
gathering/patrols, ten were in P-3 support, four for E-3 
support, 13 for ROTHR reactions, nine were for training, 
four for operational support, and two for reaction to GOC 
observations.  One Citation was in Phase maintenance through 
the month and will remain there until late March.  Another 
entered Phase maintenance at the end of March and will 
remain in Phase maintenance for 3 months. 
 
5. (SBU) To date in 2005, there have been two Phase III 
events, two aircraft destroyed, one Phase I, two Law 
Enforcement End Games (One of the Phase IIIs and the Phase 
I), one arrest, one aircraft administratively impounded and 
600 kilos of cocaine impounded. 
 
6. (U) The next AB