PARAGUAY: ANTI-DRUG UNIT SUCCESS NO ACCIDENT

S E C R E T ASUNCION 001089 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR INL/LP JAMES HIDES DS/DSS/ITA DS/IP/WHA SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD NSC FOR SUE CRONIN DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY FOR ATF E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/25/2026 TAGS: ASEC KCRM PTER SNAR PINR PA SUBJECT: PARAGUAY: ANTI-DRUG UNIT SUCCESS NO ACCIDENT REF: ASUNCION 1053 Classified By: DCM Michael J. Fitzpatrick; Reasons: 1.4(b),(d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Paraguay's National Anti-Drug Secretariat (SENAD) has taken serious steps to combat illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs by disrupting important cocaine and marijuana trafficking networks in close cooperation with international law enforcement agencies. The arrests of important drug traffickers has led to large seizures of drugs and weapons caches, clearly highlighting Paraguay's role as a transshipment point in the continent's drugs-for-guns trade. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (S) SENAD Director Hugo Ibarra and SENAD's Director of Operations Luis Rojas told PolOff and INL Off October 25 the intelligence behind the latest seizures are a direct result of high-value arrests of top narco-traffickers. Rojas reported that captured narco-traffickers, such as Marcelino Niteroi (arrested July 27) and others, provided pivotal information that led directly to the capture of additional traffickers, drugs and weapons in three major operations over the last three-months. In those operations on August 11, September 3 and October 13, SENAD seized over 1,100 weapons and more than 66,474 rounds of ammunition valued at approximately USD 1.5 million. Rojas stated there is no evidence or any intention to keep the weapons in Paraguay. Rather, the evidence suggests the traffickers trade the weapons in exchange for drugs from Colombia, Bolivia and Peru. Rojas expressed concern that the weapons and paramilitary gear were being trafficked to criminal gangs in Brazil, particularly the First Capital Command (PCC). The munitions, however, were presumably destined for the FARC in Colombia. Rojas estimates these seizures represent approximately 10 percent of the total weapons trafficked through Paraguay. ¶3. (S) SENAD Minister Hugo Ibarra asserted that the weapons are legally purchased by distributors and gun dealerships. However, these companies, which do not do background checks on purchasers, resell legal and illegal weapons to criminal organizations, which then traffick them across Paraguay's porous borders. Ibarra indicated Paraguay's control over the importation and sales of weapons is extremely limited. (NOTE: SENAD is forbidden by law to seize weapons that are not associated with known drug trafficking activities. The War Materials Directorate (DIMABEL) has the sole responsibility to control and register weapons. DIMABEL does not have an operational unit to seek out and seize illegal weapons. In essence, there is no active organization (like the ATF) within the government to investigate and capture arms traffickers directly. All of SENAD's recent arms seizures were made on the basis of information acquired from drug traffickers, providing loose pretexts for its raids. END NOTE). ¶4. (C) COMMENT: SENAD's targeting of key members of these criminal organizations is designed to disrupt and destroy their ability to operate freely within Paraguay. The success of late is a clear indication that SENAD is the most effective law enforcement agency in the country. SENAD under Ibarra's leadership has demonstrated its focus on the tremendous task of dismantling the transnational criminal organizations that have long operated with impunity within Paraguay. INL and DEA assistance programs play a huge role in SENAD's success. We expect our continued close cooperation with SENAD will contribute to significant advances in the future. END COMMENT. CASON