US embassy cable - 05LIMA3810

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 LIMA 003810 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR INL/P 
STATE FOR WHA/PPC 
ONDCP FOR D. GEDDINGS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/01/2015 
TAGS: SNAR, KCRM, ASEC, PREL, PE 
SUBJECT: PERU: NARCOTICS AFFAIRS SECTION, JULY 2005 
 
Classified By: NAS Director Susan Keogh. Reason: 1.4 (b,d) 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1.  (SBU) The Peruvian police (PNP), strengthened by the 
influx of graduates from NAS police academies in May,  have 
been giving CORAH unprecedented support in eradication 
operations, allowing eradicators to continue despite stiff 
local resistance.  Police support has also allowed CORAH to 
run simultaneous operations that may make it possible to 
reach our 8,000-hectare goal for this year.  The PNP 
continues to improve coordination within its organization, 
which is exemplified by the first ever briefed and planned 
interdiction operation by two PNP divisions.  The first of 
two Peruvian Air Force C-26 aircraft to be used in 
counter-narcotics operations, has arrived in Peru; the second 
one is due in mid-August.  Pilots and aircrews have been 
trained and missions identified.  NAS is investing more 
heavily in maritime cargo security and contraband control via 
training for K-9 units, port visits, and training for airport 
personnel.  The U.S. Coast Guard certified Peru's compliance 
with the International Ship and Por 
t Facility Security code.  The community anti-drug coalition 
initiative is preparing for the second stage of training for 
NGOs in August.  (END SUMMARY) 
 
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EXTRA POLICE SUPPORT BOOSTS ERADICATION EFFORTS 
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2.  (SBU) Unprecedented support from the PNP for CORAH 
eradicators in the field, with the introduction of 200 new 
police graduates from NAS academies in May, is allowing CORAH 
to operate in three areas simultaneously, raising our 
expectations that CORAH may get close to its goal of 8,000 
hectares by the end of the year.  As of July 31, the total 
number of hectares eradicated for this calendar year reached 
3,991. 
 
3.  (SBU) This month, two CORAH teams have been working the 
Polvora-Pizana area with a one-day high of 102 hectares 
eradicated.  Preparations started for the eradicators to move 
against the Santa Rosa de Mishollo area, home territory of 
cocalero leader Nancy Obregon.  Significant resistance is 
expected initially, but the DIRANDRO force protecting the 
eradicators has been ordered to control cocalero resistance 
control.  This effort will start August 1. 
 
4.  (SBU) Preparations are now underway to start a new 
eradication operation in Mazamari in early August. Lastly, 
preparations have started on a land operation in northern San 
Martin in mid August. 
 
5.  (SBU) CADA continues to improve its imagery analysis; a 
new procedure has proven to be 90 percent accurate when 
checked with ground-truth procedures. 
 
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DEVIDA PROPOSES INCREASING ERADICATION EFFORTS 
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6.  (C) Peru's drug czar, Nils Ericsson, has proposed various 
projects to substantially increase eradication efforts, 
including in the Monzon Valley, where an estimated 11,000 
hectares of coca is under cultivation.  However, given the 
present condition of already stretched police and NAS 
resources, and recent turnovers in key Peruvian ministries, 
it appears likely that such an effort will have to be 
postponed until 2006. 
 
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C-26 AIRCRAFT ARRIVES IN PERU 
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7.  (U)  The first of two C-26B aircraft refurbished by NAS 
was delivered on July 14 to the Peruvian Air Force (FAP). 
This first aircraft has FLIR installed.  The second aircraft 
is to be delivered mid September.  The maintenance and 
support contractor for the C-26 is ARINC, which will have two 
maintenance personnel in place ready to support operations. 
ARINC instructors are scheduled to arrive July 31 to begin 
FLIR training during August. 
 
8.  (U)  Four FAP pilots graduated from Flight Safety 
International and completed two weeks of initial 
qualification training on the C-26 in the U.S.  FLIR training 
will begin on the third of August for FAP personnel. 
(COMMENT: One FAP pilot is a graduate of the USAF Academy and 
another was an exchange student for a year.  They are, no 
doubt, the best and the brightest of the FAP.  END COMMENT) 
Both aircraft should be operational by mid September. 
 
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COCAINE-BASE LABORATORY SEIZED 
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9.  (U)  On July 20, the PNP destroyed a large cocaine-base 
laboratory near Pichari in the Apurimac River Valley.  The 
raid netted 55 kg of cocaine base, 12 kg of liquid cocaine, 2 
submachine guns, and chemicals that were destroyed on site. 
The operation was sophisticated, with a large electricity 
generator and running water.  The traffickers fled at the 
sound of helicopters arriving. 
 
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PERUVIAN PORTS INSPECTED BY U.S. COAST GUARD 
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10.  (U) In July, a United States Coast Guard (USCG) team 
inspected and certified that the four main ports in Peru are 
in compliance with the International Ship and Port Facility 
Security (ISPS) code.  GOP and private sector port and 
security officials accompanied the team. 
 
11.  (SBU) Peruvian National Port Authority (APN), the 
Peruvian Coast Guard, and pertinent maritime law enforcement 
officials will participate in a reciprocal port visit to San 
Diego and Savannah as well as the Federal Law Enforcement 
Training Center (FLETC) in October 2005. The U.S. ports were 
selected due to their similarity to Peru's main port of 
Callao in size and breadth of operations.  This exchange will 
provide Peruvian officials with needed exposure to U.S. port 
security and operations and will enhance U.S.-Peruvian 
liaison efforts. 
 
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PORT SECURITY OPERATIONS INCREASE 
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12.  (U)  A Manifest Review Unit (MRU), whose mission is to 
identify cargo containers suspected of containing narcotics, 
will be established in the northern port of Paita, near 
Piura.  Substantial volumes of agricultural products and 
seafood are shipped out of Paita.  It is highly likely the 
port is being used by narco-traffickers.  On August 29-30, 
additional in-depth and refresher training will be conducted 
for MRU Callao and the Peruvian counternarcotics police and 
customs personnel in Paita/Piura.  DEA will also participate 
along with select DIRANDRO and Customs (SUNAT-A) officials 
who work for the MRU in Callao and who may also be supporting 
the MRU expansion to Paita. 
 
13.  (U) The primary course instructor will be the NAS U.S. 
Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) Advisor who now 
provides an in-country training capability.  The USCBP 
Advisor is also completing lesson plans and the program of 
instruction to train airport police and customs officials who 
will be assigned to the international airport in Lima.  The 
USCBP Advisor is attending a series of meetings with the 
Business Anti-Smuggling Coalition (BASC) in both Paita/Piura 
and Lima in an effort to improve the safeguarding of 
international cargo. 
 
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PROGRESS CONTINUES ON ANTI-DRUG COMMUNITY COALITIONS 
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14.  (U) After the June 6-10 training by the U.S.-based 
Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA), the 
participating NGOs submitted detailed project proposals on 
July 22.  In the proposals, the NGOs needed to identify a 
community in Lima for a coalition, give the reasons for the 
choice based on an analysis of the community, obtain 
commitment from leaders of 12 or more sectors, and create a 
logic model for accomplishing specific objectives.  NAS 
Program personnel and experts from CADCA reviewed the NGO 
proposals and selected six out the eight submitted.  These 
six NGOs will participate in the next phase of CADCA training 
on August 15-19. 
 
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INL MANAGEMENT ASSISTANCE VISIT 
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15. (U) NAS benefited from a week-long visit by a 3-person 
led by Jim Walsh team that conducted a Management Assistance 
Visit in Lima in July.  The team looked at our financial, 
logistics, property management, and procurement operations 
and made a number of helpful suggestions to improve 
efficiency and to tighten internal controls.  They identified 
opportunities to recoup and use prior fiscal year PD and S 
monies that had been returned to INL and recommended NAS 
request the re-allotment of the funds.  INL concurred.  One 
area for improvement is the need to update vetting of 
security force units to ensure compliance with the Leahy 
Amendment.  The MAV team wrote a positive report on 
NAS-Lima's management operations. 
 
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DRUG PROSECUTOR PROGRAM STRENGTHENED 
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16.  (U)  Public Ministry prosecutors (fiscales) must witness 
all counter-narcotics operations conducted in Peru.  The 
Public Ministry had been attempting to meet this legal 
requirement with 20 anti-drug prosecutors.  However, these 
prosecutors were too few to keep up with the pace of CN 
operations.  With NAS encouragement and support, the Public 
Ministry, led by Peru's Attorney General Nelly Calderon, has 
revamped the program to empower all 1600 Public Ministry 
prosecutors to handle CN cases.  This change will remedy what 
was developing into a serious bottleneck in conducting 
eradication and interdiction operations throughout the 
country. 
 
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CNC CONSULTATIONS 
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17.  (SBU) NAS welcomed a visit by two experts from the Crime 
and Narcotics Center (CNC), to brief the Country Team on 
plans to include new areas of expansion in CNC's coca crop 
report for the coming year.  The team also consulted with GOP 
and local UN officials who also conduct annual coca surveys 
and discussed efforts underway to survey opium poppy growing 
areas. 
STRUBLE