US embassy cable - 05BOGOTA7737

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BOGOTA 007737 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR INL/LP AND INL/RM 
DEPT FOR WHA/AND 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR, SENV, KCRM, PTER, CO 
SUBJECT: NAS Monthly Report July 2005 
 
1. (SBU) Summary: Eradication aircraft sprayed over 6,000 
hectares in July. The program surpassed its 100,000 hectare 
goal almost three months ahead of schedule. So far this 
year, the Colombian National Police (CNP) has seized almost 
60 metric tons of cocaine HCL AND 500 kilos of heroin.  The 
CNP has also destroyed 70 HCL labs. Afghan police received 
briefings on programs in Colombia and successful joint 
operations with Police, Army, and Air Force were carried out 
in Putumayo. End summary. 
 
Eradication 
----------- 
2.  (SBU) During the month of July, OV-10's operating from 
Villavicencio and Larandia sprayed approximately 1,697 
hectares. The AT-802's, oepratin first from Caucasia and 
then from Barrancabermeja, sprayed approximately 4,327 
hectares of coca.  The T-65s, operating from Popayan and 
Tolemaida, sprayed 446 hectares of poppy and 242 hectares of 
coca. 
 
3. (SBU) This combined effort resulted in a total of 
approximately 6,266 hectares of coca sprayed during the 
month of July, in addition to the 446 hectares of poppy 
sprayed.  Though the coca total was approximately 3,700 
hectares below the monthly goal, the program managed to 
surpass the 100,000-hectare goal almost three months ahead 
of schedule. The program has sprayed approximately 101,778 
hectares of coca and approximately 1,468 hectares of poppy 
to date. 
 
4. (SBU) Eradication and COLAR aircraft were involved in 
fourteen incidents involving hostile fire during July, 
resulting in a total of 43 impacts for the month.  In the 
Eradication program, AT-802s received twelve impacts, and T- 
65s received eight impacts, while OV-10Ds received sixteen 
impacts and UH-1Ns accounted for two impacts.  In the Plan 
Colombia Helicopter Program, UH-1HIIs received five impacts 
in July. 
 
5. (SBU) During the month of July, COLAR Plan Colombia 
helicopters continued to support CD Brigade troops and 
Eradication operations in Caucausia, Apiay, and Larandia, 
and ISS training and operations in Saravena, as well as 
training operations in Tolemaida.  This month saw Plan 
Colombia helicopters flying over 1,699 hours, while 
transporting 115,703 pounds of cargo and 2,407 personnel. 
This month PCHP conducted numerous medical evacuation 
missions, flying over 77 hours, resulting in the evacuation 
of 28 patients. 
 
6. (SBU) During the month of July, the Plan Colombia 
Helicopter program graduated nine new Pilots-in-Command; 
four in the UH-1N, three in the UH-1HII, and two in the UH- 
60L.  In addition, Training Group Ten is nearing completion. 
PCHP helicopters continued to provide support to Eradication 
operations.  In the Barrancabermeja area, PCHP helicopters 
were credited with killing seven guerrillas during one 
engagement. 
 
Interdiction 
------------ 
 
7. (SBU) As of 31 July, the CNP has seized almost 60 metric 
tons of HCl and 500 kilos of heroin, and destroyed 70 HCl 
laboratories. 
 
8. (SBU) During the period June 30 thru July 2, DIRAN (3 x 
UH60s, 4 x UH-IIs, and 100 Jungla Comandos) supported CNP's 
unsuccessful efforts to capture Diego Montoya and members of 
the Cartel Norte del Valle in the area of the Canyon de 
Garrapatas on the Western Cordillera. 
 
9. (SBU) On July 3, an estimated 150-200 FARC attacked the 
16-man Police detachment in Caldono, Cauca Department. The 
CNP and COLMIL responded quickly.  DIRAN forces (2 x UH60s, 
3 x UH-IIs, 1 x Hughes 500, and 65 Junglas), CNP (1 x EMCAR 
section), COLAF (1 x Arpia, 1 x AC47), and COLAR (1 x 
Motorized Company, 1 x Counterguerrilla Company) arrived 
rapidly on the scene, preventing the FARC from leveling the 
Police station and a good portion of the town. Two civilians 
and one DIRAN helo pilot were wounded.  FARC gas cylinders 
caused damage to five houses around the Police Station. None 
of the 16 Caldono Police were injured.  The Police station 
suffered only very minor damage.  As in the Toribio attack 
(April 14), the FARC combatants fired from inside the 
outlying farm houses on the high ground.  This negated COLAF 
ARPIA and AC47 efforts.  Most of the FARC wore civilian 
clothes, many wearing white T-shirts and firing from houses 
that flew white flags. 
 
10. (SBU) On July 4, DIRAN destroyed two HCL labs and one 
large base lab located 45 miles south of Popayan.  A BBC 
crew filmed these events for their upcoming 30-minute 
documentary on Plan Colombia.  On July 14, the Santa Marta 
DIRAN Jungla Company found a cocaine cache on containing 2 
metric tons of cocaine (near the Sierra Nevada). 
 
11. (SBU) During the period July 12-16, the Colombian Army 
Plan Colombia Helicopter Program (PCHP) flew three missions 
in support of the Colombian Antinarcotics Police (DIRAN) in 
Caucasia, Antioquia.  DIRAN was pleased with the PCHP 
support and cooperation.  The PCHP pilots flew the missions 
exactly as requested.   The PCHP helos are currently in 
Barrancabermeja supporting coca spray operations. DIRAN has 
several cocaine HCL lab targets in this area and the PCHP 
and DIRAN plan to work together again in August. 
 
12. (SBU) On July 16, an Afghan Antinarcotics Police 
Delegation visited the Junglas and Carabinero training at 
the Pijaos Farm in Espinal, Tolima.  DIRAN gave a briefing 
on the Antinarcotics Training Center and on the DIRAN 
Interdiction Group planning process. The U.S. Army 7th 
Special Forces Group (SFG) Alpha training team gave a 
briefing on their support to Junglas and EMCAR. Following 
the briefing, the Afghans saw Jungla and EMCAR ongoing 
training around the farm.  This farm is being purchased by 
the CNP and will become a more formal training site for the 
jungles and Mobile Carabinero Squadrons (EMCAR.) 
 
13. (SBU) On July 27, DIRAN thwarted an attack on their base 
in San Miguel Putumayo.  A DIRAN sentry posted on the hill 
overlooking the base spotted suspicious activity in the wood 
line.  A patrol was sent out and discovered a FARC guerrilla 
installing a gas cylinder ramp. In the ensuing engagement, 
DIRAN killed the FARC guerrilla. 
 
Joint Operations 
---------------- 
 
14. (SBU) During the period July 19-26, the CNP (60 Junglas, 
40 COPES, 3 x UH60s, 4 x UH-IIs, 1 x C26B Intelligence 
Platform) and the COLAF (2 x OV-10, 4 x Tucano, 1 x AC-47, 1 
x Schweitzer, 1 x UH60 transport, 1 x Rapaz) formed a Joint 
Task Force and conducted a series of five operations against 
the infrastructure of the FARC 48th Front in Putumayo 
Department.  Four FARC guerrillas were captured along with 
35 automatic rifles, six mortars, two machine guns, six 
rockets, fifteen pistols, and 2,000 mortar rounds. 
 
Reestablish Police Presence Program (Carabineros) 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
15. (SBU) Three new Mobile Carabineros Squadrons (EMCAR) 
graduated in July from the basic seven-week course at 
Espinal, and a new combat medic course was started with 30 
of the new graduates.  A new basic course started 
immediately with three new squadrons and 50 replacement 
police. 
 
16. (SBU) There are now 44 EMCAR squadrons, equipped and 
trained by NAS, operating throughout Colombia; the objective 
of having 62 EMCAR squadrons should be reached in 2006.  The 
majority of squadrons are involved with the manual 
eradication groups and with security for the major lines of 
communications throughout the country. 
 
17. (SBU) In June, the EMCAR Squadrons captured 39 narco- 
traffickers and 97 members of terrorist groups (68 FARC, 29 
AUC).  Carabineros also seized 4,072 gals of liquid 
precursors, 6,914 kgs of solid precursors, 687 kgs of coca 
base, 171 kgs of marijuana and recovered 34 vehicles. 
 
 
Training 
-------- 
 
18. (SBU) In July, NAS processed a total of 68 police 
students (54 DIRAN and 14 Carabineros) to attend courses in 
the United States.  In addition, 12 police officers are 
attending the International Law Enforcement Academy pilot 
course in El Salvador.  Of special note, a CNP Captain is 
assigned to the Western Hemisphere Institute Security 
Cooperation (WHINSEC, Ft Benning, GA) as a Guest Instructor 
for intelligence courses.  (The DIRAN/CNP currently has two 
Guest Instructor positions at WHINSEC, one Jungla Instructor 
and the intelligence officer.) 
 
CNP Aviation (ARAVI) 
------------------------------ 
 
19. (SBU) ARAVI's fleet flew 2,699 mission hours in July. 
The UH-1H II helicopters flew 867 mission hours with an 
operational readiness (OR) rate of 44 percent (26 percent 
being in depot due to major structural repairs), our Bell 
212 helicopters flew 345 mission hours with an operational 
readiness rate of 76 percent, and our UH-60L helicopters 
flew 351 mission hours with an operational readiness rate of 
74 percent. 
 
20. (SBU) ARAVI supported "Relevos" (rotation) of municipal 
police stations with approximately 170 hours of air 
transport and provided air support for the semi-annual 
verification of Eradication missions. 
 
Counter Drug (CD) Brigade (BDE) 
------------------------------- 
 
21. (SBU) The CD BDE 1st Battalion (Bn) completed operations 
in Caucasia and started training with the 7th SFG in 
Larandia. The 2nd Bn completed training with the 7th Group 
and started operations in support of aerial spray 
eradication in Caqueta and Putumayo. The 3rd Bn completed 
operations in Meta and moved to Barrancabermeja to support 
spray operations in the south of Bolivar. 
 
22. (SBU) The NAS-funded training installations project that 
started in February in Larandia is almost complete. The CD 
BDE and other Colombian Army units will have a human rights 
course, a de-mining course, a mine recognition course, a 
fast-rope tower, and UH-1H Huey and UH-60 Blackhawk mock-ups 
for training once the project is completed. 
 
Air Bridge Denial 
----------------- 
 
23. (SBU) There were 4,884 tracks monitored over Colombia, 
of which 33 were declared unknown, assumed suspect.  One of 
these developed into a Phase III event, but the target 
aircraft reached Venezuelan airspace before disabling fire 
was authorized. 
 
WOOD