BRAZIL INTERDICTS DOD SATELLITE PIRATERS

UNCLAS BRASILIA 000687 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR EB/CIP STEVEN LATT, EB/CIP DOUGLAS SPALT E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECPS ECON BR SUBJECT: BRAZIL INTERDICTS DOD SATELLITE PIRATERS REF: A) BRASILIA 473 B) SECSTATE 38890 ¶1. Action Request - paragraph 2. ¶2. (SBU) ANATEL regulator Itamar Barreto Paes contacted post on April 7 with a read-out on ANATEL actions to stop the pirating of DOD satellite signals, per Reftel A. First, Brazilian authorities monitored the specific frequency at issue according to the information provided by reftel B, concentrating on the individual identified as the main culprit. They confirmed illegal use of the spectrum and on March 17 shut down the individual's operation. ACTION REQUEST: Post requests that the Department confirm with DOD whether the Brazil-origin interference has indeed halted. ¶3. (SBU) Turning their attention to the other frequencies identified in Reftel B, Brazilian authorities determined that the pirates were truckers and farmers. Highway police in 27 states apprehended the culprits at their farms and on the highways and confiscated the unauthorized equipment. After the two-day operation, illegal transmissions on the identified frequencies stopped, according to ANATEL's monitoring. ¶4. (U) Paes identified ANATEL's next steps as continuing to monitor the DOD-identified frequencies and respond to any further unauthorized activity. ANATEL will soon send Embassy a full report of its operations on the two interdictions, with names, locations, and details, which post will forward to Washington. ¶5. (SBU) Paes again asked about the availability of the technology used to pinpoint the pirate in Santos. ANATEL desires any information that may be passed and promised to respond to any other incidences of pirating of US DOD satellites. CHICOLA