US embassy cable - 05ASUNCION830

UNCLAS ASUNCION 000830 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR L/LEI - H. COLLUMS AND G. HARRIS 
DOJ FOR DOJ/OIA - J. LEHTMAN 
BUENOS AIRES FOR LEGATT, A. RODRIGUEZ 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CJAN, CVIS, KCRM, SNAR, PA 
SUBJECT: EXTRADITION: PARAGUAY:  CARLOS IVAN MENDES MESQUITA 
 
REF: 04 STATE 266217 
 
1.  Summary.  Carlos Ivan Mendes Mesquita, a Brazilian-born 
narcotrafficker with FARC connections, was handed over to 
U.S. custody on June 27 at approximately 8:10 a.m.  The 
successful conclusion to the six-month legal process is a 
step forward for Paraguay, marking the first time it has 
extradited a fugitive of this significance to the United 
States.  By resisting pressure and corruption, the GOP has 
demonstrated a renewed commitment to fighting international 
crime and terrorism.  End summary. 
 
2.  On June 24, the judge of first instance signed the final 
extradition order for Mesquita, putting an end to the six 
month legal process that commenced shortly after Mesquita's 
arrest in November 2004.  (Comment:  this was extraordinarily 
fast by Paraguayan standards.  End comment.)  A noted 
narcotrafficker with ties to the FARC, Mesquita had been 
living relatively openly in Paraguay since his escape from 
prison in Brazil, even obtaining a Paraguayan identity card 
with forged documents.  His arrest in a drug bust conducted 
by the SENAD unit of the police was in itself a significant 
event, given that Mesquita enjoyed the protection of other 
Paraguayan police officers.  The protection of investigative 
information and intelligence and the complex end-game in a 
remote location were major achievements.  Since that time, he 
has remained under special custody and round-the-clock 
surveillance.  The government of Brazil closely cooperated on 
the case, providing information used in the arrest and 
agreeing not to seek Mesquita's extradition so as not to 
complicate the legal case. 
 
3.  Given the insecurity of Paraguayan prisons and fearing a 
violent escape attempt or corruption leading to his release, 
the GOP has from the beginning favored our request to 
extradite Mesquita.  However, unlike the past, this 
willingness was matched by determined follow-through.  In the 
face of threats to break Mesquita out of jail, the judiciary 
and the police persevered, with SENAD Minister Hugo Ibarra 
and Supreme Court President Antonio Fretes personally 
involving themselves at every step of the way.  The 
high-level attention yielded results, as the case made it 
through the court system in six months, as opposed to the 
more usual years. 
 
4.  Comment:  This success, as well as the extradition of 
three other Brazilians traffickers to Brazil in May, 
demonstrates a renewed commitment by the GOP to aggressively 
pursue drug traffickers and terrorists and to resist pressure 
and bribes to release them. 
 
KEANE