US embassy cable - 05BOGOTA4232

UNCLAS E F T O SECTION 01 OF 02 BOGOTA 004232 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEAX 
 
POST FOR DEA ONLY 
HQS FOR OE/HARRIGAN; OEL/STEFFICK, LABOY; OI/WHALEY, 
SCARANTINO; NIAC; NIBC; NDAH; SARI; CHICAGO FD/GROUP 11/SA 
KEVIN CORCORAN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR, CO 
SUBJECT: CONTROLLED DELIVERY OF TWO KILOGRAMS OF HEROIN 
FROM SAULO SALINAS-OSPINA TO A CONFIDENTIAL SOURCE IN CALI, 
COLOMBIA ON APRIL 7, 2005. ZE-05-0025/XEH1I/SALINAS-OSPINA, 
SAULO. 
 
 
CCX: I1-05-0025/XNH1I/SALINAS, SAULO 
     CS-00-099625 
 
 
1.  (SBU) PRIOR TO APRIL, 2005, SAULO SALINAS-OSPINA HAD 
APPROACHED CONFIDENTIAL SOURCE 00-099625 (CS) WITH THE 
PROSPECT OF THE CS TRANSPORTING HEROIN FROM CALI, COLOMBIA TO 
CHICAGO, IL. 
 
2.  (SBU) ON APRIL 6, 2005, THE CS TELEPHONED SALINAS. 
SALINAS TOLD THE CS HE WANTED THE CS TO COME TO CALI, 
COLOMBIA AND PICK UP SOME HEROIN AND TRANSPORT IT TO CHICAGO, 
IL. 
 
3.  (SBU) AT THAT TIME, THE COLOMBIAN NATIONAL POLICE, 
ANTI-NARCOTICS HEROIN ENFORCEMENT GROUP (CNP/ANTIN/HEG) 
SECURED TWO HOTEL ROOMS IN CALI, COLOMBIA AT THE HOTEL CALIMA 
REAL IN WHICH TO CONDUCT THE DRUG TRANSACTION.  ONE HOTEL 
ROOM (#402) WAS SECURED AS A MEETING LOCATION FOR THE CS AND 
SALINAS, AND THE OTHER HOTEL ROOM (#403) WAS AN OBSERVATION 
ROOM USED TO MONITOR THE ACTIVITIES OF THE CS AND INSURE THE 
SAFETY OF THE CS. 
 
4.  (SBU) ON APRIL 7, 2005, AT APPROXIMATELY 8:30AM, SA 
STEPHEN BELLEAU AND SA STACEY SLATER INSTALLED AN AUDIO/VIDEO 
TRANSMITTING DEVICE IN HOTEL ROOM #402 AND AN AUDIO/VIDEO 
RECEIVING DEVICE IN HOTEL ROOM #403. USING THE AUDIO/VIDEO 
RECEIVER, AGENTS WERE ABLE TO MONITOR THE ACTIVITIES THAT 
OCCURED IN ROOM #402. 
 
5. (SBU) AT APPROXIMATELY 11:00AM, SA KEVIN COROCORAN AND SA 
LOU GADE OF THE CHICAGO FIELD DIVISION GROUP 11 AND SA 
BELLEAU AND SA SLATER MET WITH THE CS AT A NEUTRAL LOCATION 
IN CALI, COLOMBIA.  THE CS WAS GIVEN FINAL INSTRUCTIONS ON 
HOW TO CONDUCT THE DRUG TRANSACTION.  THE CS WAS ALSO 
SEARCHED WITH NEGATIVE RESULTS BY SA CORCORAN AND SA GADE AND 
EQUIPPED WITH AN AUDIO RECORDING DEVICE. 
 
6. (SBU) AT APPROXIMATELY 1:02PM, THE CS WAS TAKEN FROM THE 
NEUTRAL LOCATION TO HOTEL ROOM #402 BY A CNP/ANTIN/HEG 
OFFICER. 
 
7. (SBU) AT APPROXIMATELY 1:06PM, THE CS TELEPHONED SALINAS. 
SALINAS TOLD THE CS HE WOULD BE AT THE HOTEL IN ONE AND 
ONE-HALF HOURS. 
 
8. (SBU) AT APPROXIMATELY 2:23PM, THE CS WALKED FROM HOTEL 
ROOM #420 DOWN TO THE LOBBY OF THE HOTEL AND MET WITH SALINAS 
AS OBSERVED BY A CNP/ANTIN/HEG OFFICER. 
 
9.  (SBU) AT APPROXIMATELY 2:32PM, A CNP/ANTIN/HEG OFFICER 
OBSERVED THE CS RETURN TO HOTEL ROOM #402.  AT THAT TIME, SA 
CORCORAN SPOKE TO THE CS VIA TELEPHONE.  THE CS TOLD SA 
CORCORAN THAT SALINAS WAS GOING TO AN APARTMENT BUILDING 
CALLED LA LIMONETA AND RETRIEVE THE HEROIN. 
 
10. (SBU) AT APPROXIMATELY 3:43PM, SA CORCORAN TELEPHONED THE 
CS AND INSTRUCTED HIM/HER TO TELEPHONE SALINAS AND FIND OUT 
WHEN SALINAS WAS GOING TO ARRIVE AT THE HOTEL. 
 
11. (SBU) AT APPROXIMATELY 3:44PM, A CNP/ANTIN/HEG OFFICER 
OBSERVED SALINAS, SALINAS'S WIFE, CRISTIAN LILIAN RODRIGUEZ 
MORA, AND SALINAS'S SON, JHONNY SALINAS, ARRIVE AND SIT DOWN 
AT AN OUTDOOR CAFE ADJACENT TO THE HOTEL CALIMA REAL. 
 
12. (SBU) AT APPROXIMATELY 3:47PM THE CS DEPARTED HOTEL ROOM 
#402 AND WALKED DOWN TO THE CAFE AND MET WITH SALINAS.  AT 
THAT TIME, SALINAS HANDED THE CS A WHITE BAG CONTAINING TWO 
KILOGRAMS OF HEROIN, HEREAFTER REFERRED TO AS EXHIBIT #1. 
THE CS THEN DEPARTED THE CAFE AND WALKED BACK TO HOTEL ROOM 
#402 WITH EXHIBIT #1.  CNP OFFICERS VIDEOTAPED THE DRUG 
TRANSACTION BETWEEN THE CS AND SALINAS. 
 
13. (SBU) AT APPROXIMATELY 3:55PM THE CS ARRIVED IN HOTEL 
ROOM #402 WITH EXHIBIT #1.  IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT AN 
AUDIO/VIDEO RECORDING WAS MADE OF ALL THE ACTIVITIES OF THE 
CS IN HOTEL ROOM #402. 
 
14. (SBU) AT APPROXIMATELY 4:05PM, SA GADE OBTAINED CUSTODY 
OF EXHIBIT #1 FROM THE CS.  MOMENTS LATER, SA GADE 
TRANSFERRED CUSTODY OF EXHIBIT #1 TO CNP LT. HECTOR ALEJANDRO 
GUTIERREZ ROMERO. 
 
15. (SBU) AT APPROXIMATELY 8:50PM, EXHIBIT #1 WAS TRANSPORTED 
TO A LABORATORY IN CALI, COLOMBIA WHERE A PRESUMPTIVE 
ANALYSIS WAS CONDUCTED.  AT THAT TIME, EXHIBIT #1 (BOTH 
KILOGRAMS) TESTED PRESUMPTIVE POSITIVE FOR HEROIN.  THE NET 
WEIGHT OF ONE KILOGRAM WAS 1,078 GRAMS AND THE NET WEIGHT OF 
THE OTHER KILOGRAM WAS 1,070 GRAMS. 
 
16. (SBU) AT APPROXIMATELY 11:30PM, LT. GUTIERREZ TRANSPORTED 
EXHIBIT #1 TO A POLICE OFFICE IN CALI, COLOMBIA WHERE IT WAS 
SECURED IN A LOCKED SAFE FOR OVERNIGHT STORAGE. 
 
17. (SBU) ON APRIL 8, 2005, AT APPROXIMATELY 9:30AM, LT. 
GUTIERREZ RETREIVED EXHIBIT #1 FROM THE POLICE OFFICE AND 
TRANSPORTED THE EXHIBIT TO BOGOTA, COLOMBIA, WHERE EXHIBIT #1 
WAS AGAIN SECURED IN A LOCKED SAFE FOR OVERNIGHT STORAGE. 
 
18. (SBU) ON APRIL 9, 2005, AT APPROXIMATELY 6:10AM, LT. 
GUTIERREZ RETRIEVED EXHIBIT #1 AND TRANSPORTED THE EXHIBIT TO 
A POLICE STATION IN BOGOTA, COLOMBIA, WHERE ANOTHER 
PRESUMPTIVE LABORATORY ANALYSIS WAS PERFORMED. EXHIBIT #1 
(BOTH KILOGRAMS) AGAIN TESTED PRESUMPTIVE POSITIVE FOR HEROIN. 
 
19. (SBU) AT APPROXIMATELY 8:15AM, LT. GUTIERREZ TRANSFERRED 
CUSTODY OF EXHIBIT #1 TO SA GADE.  SA GADE THEN TRANSPORTED 
EXHIBIT #1 TO THE CHICAGO FIELD DIVISION.  CNP MAINTAINED 
CUSTODY OF ALL AUDIO/VIDEO RECORDINGS MADE DURING THE 
ACQUISITION OF EXHIBIT #1.  COPIES OF THOSE RECORDINGS WILL 
BE MADE AND FORWARDED TO THE SA KEVIN CORCORAN AT THE CHICAGO 
FIELD DIVISION. 
 
20. (SBU) THIS TELETYPE IS BEING SUBMITTED AS A PERMANENT 
RECORD IN LIEU OF A DEA-6, PURSUANT TO SECTION 6242.11 OF THE 
DEA AGENTS MANUAL. 
 
21. INQUIRIES CAN BE DIRECTED TO BCO GROUP 6 GS MARK STYRON 
OR SA JAMES LAVERTY AT 011-571-315-2121 OR 301-985-9327. 
 
INDEXING SECTION: 
 
1.  SALINAS-OSPINA, SAULO - NADDIS: 441907 
    CELL PHONE NUMBER 57-310-434-5951 
 
2.  SALINAS, JHONNY - NADDIS: 2041146 
    CELL PHONE NUMBERS 57-311-341-8928, 57-311-390-5514, 
    57-311-344-0370 
 
3.  RODRIGUEZ MORA, CRISTIAN LILIAN - NADDIS: NEGATIVE 
    WIFE OF SAULO SALINAS-OSPINA, NO FURTHER INFORMATION 
 
 
 
FROM ACTING REGIONAL DIRECTOR LIZETTE YRIZARRY 
WOOD