US embassy cable - 03GUATEMALA1692

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MAJOR COCAINE SEIZURE IN GUATEMALAN HIGHLANDS

Identifier: 03GUATEMALA1692
Wikileaks: View 03GUATEMALA1692 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Guatemala
Created: 2003-06-29 20:39:00
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Tags: SNAR PREL PGOV KJUS GT
Redacted: This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.


 
UNCLAS GUATEMALA 001692 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR, PREL, PGOV, KJUS, GT 
SUBJECT: MAJOR COCAINE SEIZURE IN GUATEMALAN HIGHLANDS 
 
1. At 09:45 local time on June 27 a Bell 212 helicopter 
carrying 757 kilos of cocaine crashed near the town of San 
Francisco el Alto, in Totonicapan Department, near the border 
with Mexico.  Its three crew members, injured in the crash, 
escaped and remain at large.  Local police immediately 
arrived at the scene and informed the SAIA (Guatemalan 
counter-drug police) and the Public Ministry, which came and 
took charge of the drugs and the investigation.  The cocaine 
was transferred to the SAIA headquarters in Guatemala City 
where it is being cataloged as evidence before being 
destroyed.  Minister of Government Reyes Calderon told 
reporters that the SAIA had knowledge of and was 
investigating this cocaine shipment, which was destined for 
Mexico and had apparently been delayed by bad weather. 
 
2.  This seizure brings the GOG's total cocaine seizures for 
the first six months of 2003 to 3,668 kilos (611 kilos a 
month); up from a total of 2,400 kilos seized in all of 2002. 
HAMILTON 

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