OPERATION CONTROLADO II RESULTS IN HONDURAS;

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 TEGUCIGALPA 000943 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEA HQS PLS PASS TO SARI, OFC/MCMANUS, STEFFICK, HUTCHINSON, BROWN; NTRM/BERGMANN, SOD/OSA FOR HIGGENS DEA MEXICO FOR HOLIFIELD, ORTEGA, GARAY AND KEYS DEA BOGOTA PLS PASS TO CARTAGENA RO FOR FISHER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SUBJECT: OPERATION CONTROLADO II RESULTS IN HONDURAS; GFTA-04-8003; CCX:GFAL-99-8001/OPERATION LANDBRIDGE CS-02-108780 REF: A. TEGUCIGALPA TWX 00987 DATED 252248ZAPR03 ¶B. TEGUCIGALPA TWX 00227 DATED 301724ZJAN04 ¶C. EMAIL BETWEEN DOMINGUE AND FISCHER ON 4/21/04 ¶1. During the period of April 1, 2004, to April 12, 2004, Honduran law enforcement engaged in Operation Controlado II which was an enforcement action against all types of criminal activity. This operation concentrated on human and vehicle movements at the borders and on all main transportation arteries. This operation produced the following results in Honduras: FIRST EVENT ¶2. On April 1, 2004, a 1989 red Mazda pick-up truck bearing Honduran license plate PBI-6497 was stopped at a police check point near Progreso, Lancetilla, Tela, Atlantida, HD. Two individuals were present in the vehicle as police began to conduct an inspection. Police discovered 14 kilos of cocaine secreted in the side panels of the vehicle. Both individuals SIPDIS were able to flee the scene and ultimately escaped unidentified. ¶3. Honduran police records indicate that the vehicle is registered to Amadeo ECHEVERRIA-Nataren who is identified in the indexing section. SECOND EVENT ¶4. On April 3, 2004, Honduran Frontier Police (FP) conducting routine vehicle registration operations, encountered a red Toyota pick-up truck bearing Honduran license plate PAA-1331. The driver was identified as Rene Sigfredo GALINDO-Mencia and was accompanied by Denis PORTILLO. The FP found each subject in possession of semi-automatic hand guns which were confiscated. A short distance behind the Toyota approached a white Isuzu truck with high green wooden rear paneling bearing Honduran license plate PP-04322, and driven by Marco Tulio FRANCO-Carranza. A third Toyota pick-up (white in color),bearing Honduran license plate PAM-4416 was following closely behind the truck. The two subjects occupying this vehicle were also found to be in possession of two hand guns. All vehicles were ordered to pull over for inspection. ¶5. The FP became extremely suspicious over four weapons found in two vehicles within such close proximity, possibly protecting the larger truck. FP then ordered all drivers of the three vehicles to proceed slowly to the Police Station at Bonito Oriental for further inspection. At that moment, the vehicles under suspicion left the area at high velocity; the FP conducted pursuit of the Isuzu truck and moments later found it abandoned by its occupant. FP officers eventually located and seized the white Toyota and arrested the driver, Luis Armando JUAREZ-Pineda at a local residence in possession of a cell phone assigned telephone number (504)968-7502. The red Toyota was also located and seized, but GALINDO and PORTILLO escaped and are at large. ¶6. A subsequent search of the Isuzu vehicle revealed the truck's flatbed had a false floor containing a quantity of 108 kilos of cocaine. The drivers license of Marco Tulio FRANCO-Carranza was also found in the cab of the truck. ¶7. A Qualcomm satelite phone was found in the possession of Rene Sigfredo GALINDO-Mancia. Telephone numbers (505)891-4870, 979-4255, and 977-2189 were found in the data memory of the satellite phone. ¶8. A telephone analysis indicated that telephone (504)968-7502 communicated twice with telephone number (504)978-6526 belonging to Jose Ivan SANABRIA-Castaneda (NADDIS 5666783). In addition, a review of the electronic memory of (504)968-7502 revealed this number was in communication with telephone number (504)963-3793 and was assigned the name "Wilmer". A review through the TCO data base revealed this number was in contact 18 times with telephone number (504) 967-3753 between October 2002 and January 2003. The (504)967-3753 number is another telephone number associated with SANABRIA. SANABRIA is suspected of receiving maritime drug shipments and transporting them across western HD into Guatemala (per ref A and B). ¶9. SANABRIA is a landbased transportation specialist that orchestrates the logistics of receiving maritime drug shipments off the north coast of Honduras, and transports them by land through western Honduras into Guatemala. SANABRIA has been implicated as conspiring with a Colombian-based maritime transportation specialist identified as Jesus Antonio MURILLO-Lenis (NADDIS 5780682) who is a suspect in the Cartegena RO's, ZU-03-0023 investigation. ¶10. Per ref C, SARI is requested to combine NADDIS records 5330343 and 5758500 into NADDIS 5780682. THIRD EVENT ¶11. On April 6, 2004, Frontier and Honduran Police were conducting a combined vehicle registration operation at the Satuye checkpoint in Colon, HD. At 16:20 hours, a black Toyota pick-up truck bearing Honduran license plate PBG-5241 was pulled over for inspection. Police noticed that the screws of the gas tank door flap had been removed and that the gas tank had been recently painted. The vehicle was taken to the local police station (Jefatura Departamental No. 1) for closer inspection after the driver denied that the gas tank had been recently painted. Thirty-three kilos of cocaine were removed from a compartment within the gas tank after officials dropped it from the chassis; twenty-two kilos were wrapped in black plastic and 11 were wrapped in white plastic. ¶12. The subjects arrested in this incident were Oscar Rene ANDRADE and Italo Donaldo CHINCHILLA-Portillo who are further identified in the indexing section. Honduran Police records indicate the Toyota is registered to Jose Antonio CHINCHILLA-Perez. ¶13. Pursuant to the DEA Agents Manual, section 6242.11, this twx is submitted in lieu of a DEA-6. ¶14. Any questions concerning this cable can be directed to A/CA Ivan Rios or I/A John Domingue at (301)985-9321. INDEXING ¶1. JUAREZ-Pineda, Luis Armando - NADDIS NEGATIVE POB: Honduras DOB: October 12, 1958 Honduran ID# 0101-1958-01426 Address: Bo. Col. Satelite 1era etapa Telephone Number: (504)968-7502 Weapons serial Number: BC350, CDB-03076865 ¶2. GALINDO-Acosta, Jose Maria - NADDIS NEGATIVE POB: Honduras DOB: November 1, 1954 Address: Bo. Las Acacias, Bonito Oriental, Colon, HD Telephone Number: (504) 438-9218 ¶3. PORTILLO, Denis - NADDIS NEGATIVE Weapons serial Number: BER-303581 ¶4. GALINDO-Mencia, Rene Sigfrido - NADDIS NEGATIVE DOB: January 3, 1979 Honduran ID# 1501-1979-00297 Address: Bo. Las Acacias, Bonito Oriental, Colon Weapons serial Number: BER-248337 Telephone Number (505)891-4810 ¶5. SANABRIA-Castaneda, Jose Ivan - NADDIS 5666783 ¶6. MURILLO-Lenis, Jesus Antonio - NADDIS 5780682 ¶7. FRANCO-Carranza, Marco Tulio - NADDIS NEGATIVE DOB: November 8, 1966 Honduran ID# 1403-1966-00096 Address: Rio Chiquito Sur, Arizona, Atlantida ¶8. ECHEVERRIA-Nataren, Amadeo - NADDIS NEGATIVE DOB: August 10, 1972 Honduran ID Number: 1306-1973-00022 Address: Los Olanchitos, Jutiapa, Atlantida, HD VIN# JM2UF3136K07Q5409 - Red Mazda ¶9. ANDRADE, Oscar Rene - NADDIS NEGATIVE DOB: August 17, 1977 Honduran ID# 0410-1977-00740 Address: Municipio de Jutiapa, Atlantida ¶10. CHINCHILLA-Portillo, Italo Donaldo - NADDIS NEGATIVE DOB: March 28, 1975 Honduran ID# 0410-1975-00286 Address: Barrio Limon, Florida, Copan, HD ¶11. CHINCHILLA-Perez, Jose Antonio - NADDIS NEGATIVE Honduran license plate: PBG-5241 PALMER