SECRET TAPE, RAID ON DRUG LORD'S ASSETS ROCK GUYANA

S E C R E T GEORGETOWN 000278

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

WHA/CAR
INL/LP
DS/IP/WHA
DS/ICI/PII
CARACAS ALSO FOR LEGATT AND DATT
PORT OF SPAIN ALSO FOR DEA, A/LEGATT, ORA
SAO PAOLO ALSO FOR DEA
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/23/2016
TAGS: SNAR PINS PGOV KCOR KCRM GY
SUBJECT: SECRET TAPE, RAID ON DRUG LORD'S ASSETS ROCK GUYANA

REF: A. GEORGETOWN 234

B. GEORGETOWN 205

C. GEORGETOWN 112

D. GEORGETOWN 111

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Michael D. Thomas
For reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (U) SUMMARY. Georgetown is flush with intrigue as a joint
army/police team conducted raids March 19-20 on drug lord
Shaheed "Roger" Khan's properties and, concurrently, a secret
recording of Police Commissioner Winston Felix's phone
conversations was anonymously and widely distributed to the
media, GoG, private sector, and diplomatic missions.
Theories abound as to the motives and linkages behind these
events, but no conclusive explanations have emerged yet.
However, one thing is clear - the power struggle between
narco-trafficking interests and the Guyanese state has
escalated to a new level. END SUMMARY.

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Army/Police Joint Operation Targets Khan's Properties
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2. (U) The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and Guyana Police Force
(GPF) conducted a joint operation March 19 and 20, targeting
homes and businesses belonging to Guyana's top drug lord
Shaheed "Roger" Khan. The GDF spearheaded the operation,
with the GPF in tow to make arrests and ensure chain of
custody for seized evidence.


3. (C) The GDF claims that the operation was part of its
attempt to recover the 33 AK-47s and other weapons that
disappeared from the GDF headquarters' armory one month ago
(ref B). Given Khan's known role as a large-scale weapons
trafficker, it seems unlikely that he would resort to
stealing weapons from the GDF. It is more plausible that the
GDF wanted to counteract the growing impunity with which
criminal organizations are operating in Guyana. Post sources
indicate the operation was a scattershot effort in hopes of
finding anything incriminating. Regardless of the motive,
Post believes the operation succeeded in penetrating criminal
organizations' comfort zones and, specifically, ratcheting up
the pressure on Khan.


4. (C) According to public reports, the joint team has seized
cocaine and illegal firearms and detained nineteen people and
175 vehicles. In March 20 meeting with Charge and UK and
Canada High Commissioners, Minister of Home Affairs Gail
Teixeira added that the operation netted 41 kilograms of
cocaine, GPF and GDF uniforms, computers, and sophisticated
communications intercept equipment. The GDF has custody of
the seized items and has requested USG assistance with
forensic analysis - particularly of the computers. Post has
offered Teixeira such assistance in writing and is making
necessary arrangements with LEGATT.


5. (C) Khan's whereabouts are unknown. Teixeira said he must
have been tipped off to the raid, even though the GDF planned
the operation unbeknownst to both GPF and Teixeira.

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Secret Tape of Police Commissioner's Phone Call Released

SIPDIS
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6. (C) A taped conversation between GPF Commissioner Winston
Felix and opposition party PNC/R executive committee member
Basil Williams was anonymously and widely distributed March
20 to the media, GoG, private sector, and diplomatic
missions. Post was already familiar with a shorter version
of the tape, which appears to be a Khan production. Khan had
for some time been seeking an outlet for the tape; the
Ambassador and DCM discussed it with Teixeira March 10 (ref
A). Khan was pushing the spin that the longer recording
implicates Felix in deliberately misdirecting the
investigation into the recent murders at Agricola (ref B),
leading to the conclusion that Felix should be sacked and
replaced by (the notoriously corrupt) Deputy Police
Commissioner/Crime Chief Henry Greene.


7. (U) Reaction to the tape from the media and GoG has been
surprisingly muted so far. Teixeira released a statement
that the GoG was "deeply disturbed about the circulation and
broadcast" of the tape, which had "implications for national
security". The media's cautiousness partly derives from a
sense that there is a lot they do not know rather than from
lack of interest. More attention has been paid to the
potential origins and the security implications of the tape -
how and why were the Police Commissioner's phone calls
recorded. The press has even speculated that Khan has
intercept equipment capable of producing such a tape.


8. (U) The taped conversation itself spans a variety of
topics - including the GPF's response to the Agricola
murders, the upcoming national elections, and Ronald
Waddell's execution (refs B and D). However, the
conversation does not seem to contain incriminating
statements. It does contain a frank, expletive-laced
discussion between the Police Commissioner and a senior
opposition politician about serious criminal activities. The
tape actually captures Felix making some reasonable comments
- such as, "some people don't understand, you know once you
want to play with violence, violence will have to surround
you". Certainly the tape may be embarrassing for the
conversants and their bosses, but it does not actually
implicate anyone in anything. The tape is a tool in Khan's
plot to get rid of Felix because the commissioner is intent
on fighting organized crime.


9. (S) Ambassador spoke early March 20 with Norman McLean -
former Commissioner of Police and former head of the GDF -
regarding the tape. McLean said that President Jagdeo had
heard the tape and that Felix would be offered early
retirement. Greene, who has a heavily tarnished reputation
and a relationship with Khan, is the logical choice to
replace Felix. Post is seeking Department concurrence to
have Greene's visa revoked on those grounds.


10. (S) Charge and UK and Canadian High Commissioners met
with Teixeira evening of March 20. Teixeira agreed that
given the dubious origins of the tape and likelihood that it
had been edited before its release, there should be due
consideration before any decisions are taken regarding
Felix's continued employment. However, Teixeira also
indicated that the tape and Felix's future would be a major
subject on the agenda for the March 21 Cabinet meeting and
that she could not guarantee that cooler heads would prevail.
Charge and the High Commissioners indicated that there would
be serious difficulties for continued bilateral police
cooperation if Greene were named Police Commissioner.
Teixeira concurred that Greene would be a problem for many
reasons and asked for assistance in leaking to the media the
fact that the tape originated with Khan.


11. (S) As of March 23, Felix's position is still vulnerable,
but improving. Teixeira told Charge March 22 that she "got
things on a more even keel" at the Cabinet meeting. Sources
indicate a meeting/confrontation between President Jagdeo and
Felix occurred March 21, during which Jagdeo demanded that
Felix retract certain statements that could be interpreted as
implying GoG involvement with the tape. Felix refused, and
he apparently also refused to take early retirement. Sacking
Felix would require investigation and action by the
Disciplined Services Commission. Given the lack of serious
impropriety on the longer version of the tape and the lack of
concern from the media and the public regarding Felix's
remarks as recorded, it seems unlikely that a call for an
investigation of Felix would gain much traction. The bottom
line is that the general public thinks that whatever Felix
said in his private conversations makes for a relatively
innocuous indisretion compared to secretly recording phone
calls of senior government officials.

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Comment
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12. (S) The release of the secret tape within a day of the
GDF/GPF raid on Khan's properties is an unlikely coincidence.
Khan reportedly despises Felix because he is resistant to
Khan's control. It is almost certain that Khan wants Felix
replaced by someone more pliable - someone like Greene. Even
though Felix was not the driving force behind the raid on
Khan (GDF Chief of Staff Edward Collins was),releasing the
tape was probably Khan's (or his associates') way of fighting
back. If that was Khan's strategy, it has backfired so far.


13. (C) Comment continued. The role of McLean and fellow
Private Sector Commission leader Jerry Gouveia in spreading
word of the tape is also troubling. Gouveia in particular
has played the role of Khan's cheerleader in recent weeks,
vouching for the legitimacy of the tape and Khan himself. It
is unclear whether these eminent figures sought to discredit
Felix simply because they think he is incompetent or for a
less benign reason. Teixeira has told Charge and UK and
Canada High Commissioners that Gouveia and McLean enjoy a
very close relationship with and ready access to President
Jagdeo, including the ability "to pick up the telephone and
call him at any time", which implies an uncomfortably
convenient link between Jagdeo and Khan. END COMMENT.

THOMAS