Brazilian Army Captures Two Suspected FARC Guerillas

UNCLAS BRASILIA 000768 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR INL/LP, WHA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SNAR BR SUBJECT: Brazilian Army Captures Two Suspected FARC Guerillas ¶1. Summary. On April 5, 2006, a Brazilian Army patrol surprised a trio of individuals near the bank of the Rio Negro in Brazil's Amazonas state, just opposite where the small army outpost is located. Two suspects were detained along with weapons and cash after a short-lived firefight. The body of the third member of the group was found the next day floating in the water having died as a result of a gunshot wound to the neck. The two-suspected FARC members are currently in Manaus and are in custody of the Brazilian Federal Police. The incident received significant press coverage, but the GOB has been mute. End Summary. ¶2. The events of last Wednesday unfolded quite unexpectedly when one of the three Brazilian soldiers assigned to a remote outpost on the Rio Negro came upon a group of individuals in the dense undergrowth on the other side of the river opposite the army camp. The soldier stealthily departed the area and returned to alert the other two soldiers at the base. The three soldiers, all of Amazonian Indian descent, carefully made their way back to the site and surprised two of the suspects. The first suspect complied and raised his hands, but the others opened fire. Both were apprehended after a brief shootout. A search of the area the next day by army and federal police reinforcements from Sao Gabriel da Cachoeira (about 50 kilometers down river) turned up a third individual who had died as a result of a bullet wound to the neck. Initial examinations of the wound seem to indicate that it made have been made by the subject's own 9mm pistol and not by one of the FAL rifles used by the Brazilian soldiers in the firefight. The forensic examination by the Brazilian Federal Police should shed some light on this anomaly in the near future. ¶3. The other big surprise for local authorities was the amount of cash the group was carrying as well the type of weapons they possessed. Approximately USD 100,000 and 100,000 euros were confiscated along with smaller amounts of Brazilian and Venezuelan notes. Three FAL rifles with "exercito brasileiro" (Brazilian Army) inscribed on them were also recovered. The lack of serial numbers on the weapons leads the Federal Police to believe that they may have been obtained directly from the factory before being stamped. Other items obtained are two cell phones, a GPS device, a digital camera, and a Motorola T5500 walkie-talkie. ¶4. The information on the three individuals is as follows: ¶A. Justo Alexander RAMOS RAMIREZ, DPOB: Sept. 01, 73; Bogota, ID (cedula) 79.766.953 ¶B. William Norbey NAGLES CESPEDES, DPOB: Sept. 26, 1976; Ataco, Tolima, ID (cedula) 79767434 ¶C. Wilver Yeison VILLANUEVA DAZA (deceased),DPOB: Sept. 04, 82; Cubarral, Meta, ID (cedula) 86073437 ¶5. Major dailies in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Brasilia carried accounts of the incident, but without any front-page fanfare and little follow up in the days afterwards. The articles inaccurately reported that the confrontation had taken place on the water. Other details regarding the confiscated weapons and cash were fairly accurate. The "Journal do Brasil," however, did publish a piece outlining the past ties between the PT party and the FARC as well as pointing out links between Brazilian narcotraffickers and Colombian guerillas. The Government of Brazil has been mute on the incident and seems to be treating it as a law enforcement matter. ¶6. COMMENT: It is surmised that the group is part of, or associated with, FARC guerillas and was coming down river to purchase supplies in the form of medicine, foodstuffs, or quite possibly weapons. The other theory is that they may have been returning with proceeds from a drug transaction. Hopefully more information will come to light after interrogation by the Federal Police in Manaus. The FARC constantly exploits the vast, sparsely manned Northern Amazon region to move shipments of cocaine and heroin through Brazil. While the NAS Brazil supported "Operation COBRA" (COLombia-BRAzil) has resulted in a twofold increase in the amount of drugs seized in the North/Northeast during the last year, the Federal Police and Brazilian authorities must augment their presence in the region in order to further reduce the flow of narcotics, precursors, and counter band. END COMMENT. CHICOLA