PERU: MULTI-TON COCAINE SEIZURES IN THE FIRST TWO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LIMA 001171

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR INL/LP, WHA/AND
DEPT FOR ONDCP FOR D. GETTINGS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/08/2015
TAGS: SNAR EAID PGOV PREL PE
SUBJECT: PERU: MULTI-TON COCAINE SEIZURES IN THE FIRST TWO
MONTHS OF 2005

REF: A. LIMA 138 B. LIMA 230 C. LIMA 658 D. LIMA 773

E. LIMA 971 F. LIMA 1015

Classified By: CLASSIFIED BY J. CURTIS STRUBLE, AMBASSADOR,
REASON 1.4 B AND D


1. (C) BEGIN SUMMARY: In the first two months of 2005, the
Peruvian National Police (PNP),supported by DEA's Lima
Country Office (LCO),have tracked and seized record-breaking
amounts of cocaine HCL/base - close to 5 metric tons -
compared to 7.11 metric tons of cocaine HCL in the whole of

2004. These intelligence-based seizures (reported in
reftels) show intense involvement of Mexican and Colombian
operations/cartels in the Peru drug market, bypassing
Colombia as a source or transshipment point. It also shows
the preference of these groups for large maritime shipments
of cocaine, concealed in commercial cargo. END SUMMARY

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THE OPERATIONS
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2. (C) The Potato Case: LIMA 138
On January 5 in Lima, an LCO-sponsored PNP Special
Investigative Unit (SIU) seized 326 kgs of cocaine HCL
bricks, wrapped in brown tape and concealed in a cargo of
potatoes, that originated from the VRAE (Apurimac/Ene River
Valley),one of Peru's source zones for coca cultivation.
Intelligence sources indicated that the cocaine was going to
be trucked to the port of Guayaquil, Ecuador. Six Peruvian
nationals were arrested; subsequently 3 Colombian nationals
were arrested in Ayacucho in connection with the case (no
specific Colombian organization has been identified).


3. (C) The Hollow Wood Case: LIMA 230
On January 8, joint LCO and PNP-SIU anti-narcotics maritime
units, along with Peruvian Customs, stopped almost 200 kgs of
cocaine HCL from entering the U.S. The cocaine was
concealed inside hollowed-out lumber, surgically glued back
together, in a commercial wood shipment destined to leave the
Port of Iquitos for Port Everglades, Florida. Seven Peruvian
nationals, associated with Mexican-based trafficking
organization Ismael Zambarra Garcia, were subsequently
arrested (for further developments see paragraph 9).


4. (C) The Tupperware Case: LIMA 658
On February 2, police discovered 813 kgs of cocaine HCL in
tupperware-type plastic containers about to be shipped,
possibly to Europe/Russia, from the Port of Callao (Lima). A
British Customs/LCO/PNP team coordinated this 5-month
investigation to make the seizure. Two Peruvians were
immediately arrested; two Mexican nationals were arrested the
same day attempting to board a flight to Mexico.


5. (C) The Tanker Case: LIMA 1015
On February 9 and 10, LCO and PNP, with the assistance of
NAS, seized 1.2 metric tons of cocaine HCL concealed in an
ISO tank (a maritime container used for transporting liquid).
PNP officers detained the container in a PNP compound as it
was being trucked to the Port of Callao, with a U.S.
destination. Members of the PNP and NAS entered the tank and
discovered a false lining/compartments in the front of the
tank. Retired USCG Chief Petty Officer Bryan Tuttle, NAS's
Deputy Port Security officer, began cutting into the false
compartment; an explosion resulted, tragically killing
officer Tuttle. The PNP arrested 13 Peruvian nationals
connected to this case in the coastal cities of Lima, Huacho,
Sullana and the coca source zone of Tingo Maria; more arrests
are pending.


6. (C) The Pan-American Highway Case: LIMA 773
On February 11, LCO and PNP/SIU seized about 140 kgs of
washed cocaine base concealed in a truck, and arrested 3
Peruvian nationals at KM 65 of the Old Pan-American Highway
in Northern Peru near the Ecuadorian border. Intelligence
operations reported the cocaine had been collected in the
VRAE and was en route to Mexico.


7. (C) The Taxi Case: LIMA 971
On February 25, LCO/PNP operations resulted in the seizure of
1 metric ton of cocaine HCL in bricks from a residence and a
warehouse in Lima. Fourteen of the 25 persons arrested were
Colombian, 6 Mexican and 5 Peruvian - working for a Colombian
drug trafficking organization led by Rowinson and Rowan Rios.
These Columbian brothers, residing in Peru, have been
smuggling cocaine out of Peru to Spain for the past two years
via Mexico. The hero of this case was an undercover PNP
policeman, posing as a taxi-driver, who persuaded one of the
Rios brothers to enter his cab, then to hire him as his
private chauffeur. The policeman convinced the trafficker to
conduct his negotiations and meetings in his vehicle,
equipped by DEA with GPS and recording devices that
documented every movement of the organization.


8. (C) The Refrigerated Truck Case:
On March 2, LCO and PNP seized 519 kgs of cocaine HCL linked
to another shipment for export as containerized cargo from
Lima to Mexico. The 243 bricks, wrapped in beige tape, were
unloaded from a conceal compartment in the roof of a
refrigerated truck. Two Peruvians were arrested.


9. (C) The Tractor-Trailer Case:
In further investigating the Hollow Wood case in Iquitos
(para 3),SIU discovered that additional members of the
Mexican trafficking group were coordinating a second shipment
of cocaine from San Martin, a coca source zone, to the
northern port of Lambayeque. On March 2, as the
tractor-trailer containing the cocaine HCL traveled north,
the PNP conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle and seized an
additional 430 kgs of cocaine HCL hidden in the walls. The
driver and his companion, both Peruvians, were arrested;
investigation of this organization continues.


10. (C) These improved results are directly related to
DEA's decision to channel resources and prioritize
investigations involving major drug trafficking organizations
(DTOs). NAS has also concentrated Ports and Riverine Program
resources on major maritime collection points. These
seizures indicate that DTO's are using commercial maritime
shipments to move major loads out of Peru. An area of
ongoing interest will be the results of DEA's Special Testing
Chemical Analysis of representative samples from each of
these seizures to analyze its origin. These multi-ton
seizures may well come from increasing production of cocaine,
resulting from expanding cultivation of coca in Peru.
STRUBLE