EL SALVADOR: INL MONTHLY ACTIVITIES REPORT FOR

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SAN SALVADOR 002635 SIPDIS STATE FOR INL STATE FOR PRM RAMGOOLIE DOJ FOR OPDAT E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EFIN ELAB PHUM SNAR KCRM KJUS ES INL SUBJECT: EL SALVADOR: INL MONTHLY ACTIVITIES REPORT FOR AUGUST 2005 REF: A. SAN SALVADOR 02475 ¶B. SAN SALVADOR 02357 ¶1. (U) The following summarizes Embassy INL activities in August 2005. Unless otherwise indicated, all statistics refer to the month of August 2005. -------------- ILEA -------------- ¶2. (U) On September 2, the International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) concluded the presentation of its six-week core program that began on July 25. Later that afternoon, DHS U/S Randy Beardsworth presented diplomas to the 36 ILEA participants. (See Refel A). The graduation ceremony was attended by Salvadoran, Embassy, and U.S.-based officials, as well as the Ambassadors from Colombia and the Dominican Republic. Subsequent press coverage was accurate and positive. ILEA desires to present one or two specialized courses in El Salvador by the end of the calendar year. ¶3. (U) On August 19, INLOff escorted members of the human rights community (NGOs) on a tour of ILEA and the National Police Academy. They were permitted to question the students, and one even took the opportunity to give a brief class on the history of human rights in El Salvador. They later told INLOff that they saw nothing to indicate that ILEA offered instruction in counter-insurgency. They indicated their interest in continued monitoring to ensure that ILEA remains true to its civilian character. INLOff assured that continued monitoring would be welcomed. -------------- NARCOTICS INTERDICTION -------------- ¶4. (U) Operations: Officers of the Anti-Narcotics Police (DAN) at the INL-constructed vehicle inspection facility in El Amatillo inspected 585 cars, 700 passenger buses, and 290 commercial freight trucks; no narcotics were found. In all operations throughout the country, the INL-supported DAN seized 8.3 kilograms of marijuana and one kilogram of cocaine, and arrested 73 individuals for trafficking offenses. ¶5. (U) Training/Donations: INL purchased and donated 20 computers and eight printers to the Joint Intelligence Counter-Narcotics Center for use in drug trafficking operations and analysis. -------------- MONEY LAUNDERING -------------- ¶6. (U) Operations: The INL-supported Financial Investigations Unit (FIU) received 34 Suspicious Activities Reports, opened eight new investigations, and identified and removed 211 false dollar-denominated bills from circulation. See Reftel B for the sole money laundering arrest made during the month. ¶7. (U) Training: INL sponsored the travel of the Director of the Office of Banking Regulation (SSF) and the lead prosecutor for the FIU to Buenos Aires to attend a Hemispheric Conference on Financial Crimes Investigations. -------------- -------------- HUMAN SMUGGLING/TRAFFICKING AND TRANSIT SECURITY -------------- -------------- ¶8. (U) Operations: The INL-supported Border Police (Fronteras) arrested 33 individuals for human smuggling and 3 persons trafficking in August. Police operations rescued 15 minors in the process of being smuggled or trafficked. No convictions for trafficking or smuggling were realized in August. ¶9. (U) Training: From August 16 to 18, INL hosted OPDAT regional Trafficking in Persons (TIP) training. In attendance were prosecutors, police, and foreign ministry officers from Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. The training focused on best practices, international cooperation, and investigative techniques. (See Septel from OPDAT). ¶10. (U) On August 25, INLOff met with Norberto Giron of the International Migration Organization (IMO) to discuss establishing a TIP shelter in El Salvador. In 2002, IMO received a grant from State PRM to establish a yet unrealized TIP shelter. Giron agreed to pool resources with Post INL to make the TIP shelter a reality. We are currently working with the GOES to find a suitable location. (Septel). ¶11. (U) Travel: INL sponsored the travel of three police officers, one immigration official, and one prosecutor to participate in trafficking in persons training in Costa Rica. -------------- -------------- ORGANIZED CRIME, RULE OF LAW, AND DEMAND REDUCTION -------------- -------------- ¶12. (U) Organized Crime: In August, the PNC arrested 1,201 individuals for gang-related criminal activity. Of these arrests, 20 percent of the cases were dismissed for lack of evidence, 65 percent are incarcerated awaiting trial, and 15 percent were assigned alternative sentencing (community service). 60 gang members were killed due to gang-related violence. ¶13. (U) The NGO FundaSalva administered 67 tattoo removal sessions in August with the INL-donated laser tattoo removal machine. Presently, there are 342 ex-gang members receiving free tattoo removal treatments with this machine. Butler