COUNTER DRUG BRIGADE CAPTURES TWO HCL LABS IN

UNCLAS BOGOTA 004820 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPT FOR INL AND WHA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SNAR PTER MOPS CO SUBJECT: COUNTER DRUG BRIGADE CAPTURES TWO HCL LABS IN NARINO ¶1. (SBU) ON APRIL 25 AND 28, THE 2ND BATTALION OF THE PLAN COLOMBIA SUPPORTED COUNTER DRUG (CD) BRIGADE SHUT DOWN TWO FARC COCAINE HYDROCHLORIDE (HCL) LABS DURING OPERATION ZEUS IN SOUTHERN NARINO DEPARTMENT. ¶2. THE FIRST LAB, NEAR THE MIRA RIVER AND LLORENTE, HAD FOUR CHEMICAL RECYCLING VATS (MARCIANOS) AND FIFTEEN MICROWAVES CAPABLE OF PRODUCING FIVE METRIC TONS OF COCAINE HCL PER MONTH. THE SECOND LAB, NEAR THE GUIZA RIVER AND LA GUAYACANA, HAD THREE MARCIANOS AND EIGHT MICROWAVES CAPABLE OF PRODUCING THREE METRIC TONS OF COCAINE HCL A MONTH. ¶3. INCLEMENT WEATHER HAS PREVENTED THE CD BRIGADE FROM HITTING A THIRD PROBABLE HCL LAB BELONGING TO THE AUC. ¶4. (SBU) THE BATTALION WORKED WITH DEA TO ACT ON INFORMATION OBTAINED THROUGH DEA SOURCES. SO FAR THIS YEAR THE CD BRIGADE HAS CAPTURED OR DESTROYED SIX COCAINE HCL LABS, OVER 200 BASE LABS AND SEIZED 76 KGS OF COCAINE HCL AND 449 KGS OF COCAINE BASE. WOOD