MANIFEST REVIEW UNIT ALERT RESULTS IN FURTHER

UNCLAS LIMA 004721 SIPDIS SENSITIVE AMEMBASSY CARACAS: PASS TO CUSTOMS ATTACHE OFFICE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SNAR PE SUBJECT: MANIFEST REVIEW UNIT ALERT RESULTS IN FURTHER CONTROLLED DELIVERY REF: A. 3891 ¶B. 4512 ¶C. 4514 ¶1. (SBU) Lima NAS/DEA Manifest Review Unit (MRU) and NAS US Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) Officers, working at the Port of Callao, continue to provide illicit narcotics alerts to US Law Enforcement entities leading to seizures and controlled deliveries of cocaine originating from Peru. The most recent seizure occurred on October 31 in Newark, NJ, where the USCBP Sea Operations Enforcement Branch searched a container containing wood and wood by-products, and an undetermined amount of cocaine was discovered. On October 20, the NAS USCBP K9 Advisor forwarded the alert to the USCBP Anti-Terrorism Contraband Enforcement Team (AT-CET),Miami, which subsequently notified USCBP in the port of Newark. A controlled delivery operation will occur at the cocaine,s final destination in order to identify and arrest the traffickers involved in this shipment. ¶2. (SBU) USCBP Officers in Newark used an Itemizer that provided an alarm for cocaine residue. Furthermore, a canine alerted to the presence of cocaine in a pallet of wood. All told, 8 pallets were scanned by the Pallet VACIS scanner system, and distinct density discrepancies were located in the middle bottom area of the pallet of wooden boards. Pertinent pallets were drilled from the bottom producing a white powder substance. Seventy-seven boards in total were found to have been hollowed out and 2 white packages were secreted inside the hollow areas. One hundred and fifty four SIPDIS packages were discovered with an average weight of approximately 4 ounces which tested positive for cocaine. Additional details to follow on septel pending controlled delivery and total cocaine discovered. STRUBLE