EMBASSY TEGUCIGALPA HOSTS MINI-DUBLIN GROUP

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 002916

SIPDIS

STATE FOR INL/LP, WHA/PPC, AND WHA/CEN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KCRM SNAR KJUS EFIN ETRD HO
SUBJECT: EMBASSY TEGUCIGALPA HOSTS MINI-DUBLIN GROUP
MEETING; USG ONLY SIGNIFICANT DONOR FOR COUNTERNARCOTICS



1. Summary. On December 5, Post hosted a meeting of the
Tegucigalpa Mini-Dublin Group to coordinate with
participating countries on counternarcotics assistance
programs and the overall effectiveness of such programs.
Along with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP),
countries that participated in the meeting include: the
United States; United Kingdom; Japan; France; Spain; Sweden;
Germany; and Italy. Discussion among participants provided a
comprehensive examination of trends,threats, and
counternarcotic assistance to Honduras. End Summary.


2. Post hosted a meeting December 5 of the Tegucigalpa
Mini-Dublin Group to coordinate with participating countries
on counternarcotics assistance programs and the overall
effectiveness of such programs. The meeting began with
members of the Embassy briefing the other countries.
According to DEA, the most common and preferred method of
transporting illegal narcotics is maritime go-fasts coming
from Colombia (San Andreas Island),refueling off the
Caribbean coast of Honduras, and then continuing to Mexico
and the United States. Using small planes to transport
narcotics is the second most common manner that drugs pass
through Honduras destined for the United States. Planes land
in Gracias a Dios, a remote northeasterm region of Honduras,
using clandestine runways. The least preferable method of
transportation is by land, via the Pan-American highway,
which is estimated to be used only 10 percent of the time,
compared to air at 30 percent, and maritime at 60 percent.



3. Representatives from countries attending the meeting were
interested in a wide range of issues, including: the
systematic process of shipping the drugs from their point of
origin to the final destination; who benefits from the
transit process, and how much; the trend in the number of
shipments each year; and whether or not authorities' efforts
were impacting the market price of drugs. Methods of
transportation, the economics of the drug trade, corruption,
and the correlation between crime and drugs were other topics
discussed at the meeting.


4. The support offered by participating countries varies
greatly. The U.S. is by far the greatest provider of both
direct and financial counternarcotics assistance to the
Government of Honduras (GOH). Currently, the U.S. has a USD
2,750,000 assistance program for counternarcotics and police
assistance aimed at helping the Ministry of Public Security,
particularly the Frontier Police, to aid the fight against
drug trafficking and to improve the police overall. The U.S.
also has a USD 250,000 program to help the GOH more
effectively investigate money laundering. For the past year,
the U.S. has been helping the Organized Crime Unit of the
Public Ministry, the Frontier Police, and the Financial
Information Unit. The new Port Security Initiative will help
better control trafficking in persons, terrorism, money
laundering, and other transnational crimes.


5. At the present time, no other participating Mini-Dublin
country has any special programs to help combat
narco-trafficking. Spain primarily focuses on strengthening
government organizations, socio-economic issues, and reducing
the demand for drugs. France does not work directly in the
war against drugs in Honduras, but offers some assistance to
police. Japan provides minor technical assistance. The
United Kingdom has two agents in Panama that work closely
with Honduran police, although their focus is Jamaica, which
serves as the transit point for most drugs entering Western
Europe. The UNDP has an agreement with the European Union to
identify and prevent trade in precursor chemicals, for which
the UNDP spends ten million euros annually in the entire
Central Amercian region. Sweden provides funding to the
forensics department of the Public Ministry, but is delaying
any further aid until the next Attorney General is selected
early next year. Germany has donated communications
equipment and computers to the police and is currently
considering assisting the K-9 unit. Italy provides no direct
assistance to the GOH, but does provide some cooperation
within the region.
Palmer