LAB BUSTS MARK ECUADOR'S MOVE FROM TRANSIT TO

UNCLAS QUITO 002809 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: MASS SNAR PTER EC CO PE SUBJECT: LAB BUSTS MARK ECUADOR'S MOVE FROM TRANSIT TO PRODUCTION ¶1. (SBU) Summary: The Ecuadorian National Police (ENP), working with Peruvian anti-drug authorities and the DEA, uncovered and dismantled three cocaine processing labs in southern Ecuador. The ENP arrested 45 individuals - including Colombian fugitive Juan Solarte Mora, and seized vehicles, boats, cocaine processing chemicals, and other support equipment. This was the largest drug lab bust ever in Ecuador, a success that underscores the vulnerability of Ecuador's porous southern border with Peru and demonstrates a clear shift towards Ecuador by narcotics traffickers not just for transit but now also as a platform for production. Moreover, the proximity of these labs to Eastern Pacific access points dovetails with the well-established shift from Colombian to Ecuadorian flagged vessel for shipping multi-ton loads of cocaine. On the public opinion front, the bust has received considerable media coverage, with some finally calling for a stronger GOE anti-drug stance. End Summary. "Operation Tsunami" Rains Results -------------- ¶2. (SBU) The Ecuadorian National Police Sensitive Investigation Unit (ENP-SIU),acting on surveillance information collected over three months, initiated "Operation Tsunami" on November 7. The highly successful operation SIPDIS targeted a suspected cocaine conversion laboratory (base to crystal) operated by Colombian fugitive chemist Juan Solarte Mora in Carchipulla, a small mining town in the southern Ecuadorian province of El Oro. ENP-SIU officials seized 200 kilograms of cocaine base and excavated numerous barrels of processing chemicals in the recently abandoned and highly toxic underground lab. Believed to have been built in or around 2001, the ENP-SIU estimates that the lab likely produced between two and four tons of cocaine a month. A second smaller lab still in use was discovered and dismantled near-by. The ENP-SIU, with the assistance of Peruvian anti-drug authorities and the DEA, successfully arrested 45 individuals in "Operation Tsunami." Super Lab Discovered -------------- ¶3. (SBU) The ENP-SIU on November 9 reported that they had identified a third cocaine conversion laboratory in the remote El Oro town of Cerro Azul - one hour east of Carchipulla. ENP-SIU officials raided the site on November 10, discovering sleeping quarters for 18, storage facilities with 200 55-gallon barrels of chemicals (hydrogen peroxide, methyletholkeytone, and hydrochloric acid),100 bags of caustic soda, and 50 to 80 barrels of yet to be identified chemicals from a Guayaquil based chemical company. Five heat lamps, six microwave ovens, tape, cellophane, and other items used to package the drugs were also confiscated. A separate storage facility housed 15-20 large 300-gallon plastic containers used to mix base with chemicals. ¶4. (SBU) ENP Police Chief General Jose Vinueza lauded the bust as the "largest" ever in Ecuador, capable of producing an estimated four to six tons of cocaine a month. The lab, believed to have been built within the last year, was powered by a newly purchased Yamaha generator and was equipped with potable water. Colombian fugitive Juan Solarte Mora ran the operation, receiving large supplies of base cocaine from Peruvian traffickers. Two Ecuadorian police officers (not associated with the ENP-SIU) were found to be supporting the drug smuggling/processing efforts - a warrant for their arrest is imminent. Press Coverage Extensive, Some Question GOE -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Press coverage of the El Oro busts has remained mainly factual, hopefully helping to better educate Ecuadorians on the growing narcotics threat. Most articles also noted General Vinueza's public confirmation of DEA logistical support in the drug lab busts. A November 14 editorial in the Guayaquil daily "El Expresso de Guayaquil", noted that the ENP had discovered numerous narcotrafficking cases...with the "effective collaboration of the DEA and once again proving that the Manta Base (FOL) is fulfilling its role as defined in the accord." Comment -------------- ¶6. (SBU) The ENP-SIU is a special DEA vetted unit that has worked closely and effectively with the U.S. on numerous narcotrafficking cases. The El Oro busts signals an alarming shift in the production of cocaine to Ecuador, and highlights the vulnerability of Ecuador's porous southern border region. The discovery of cocaine processing labs in southern Ecuador and their proximity to Eastern Pacific access points further highlights the shift in the use of Ecuadorian flagged vessels to move multi-ton cocaine loads. While the ENP-SIU and the Ecuadorian Navy played a significant role in the 61 metric tons of cocaine seized in Ecuador in fiscal year 2006, resource limitations continue to hinder wider action against what is clearly a large and growing challenge. ¶7. (SBU) On the national political scene, high-ranking GOE officials, to Ecuador's detriment, have traditionally been slow in acknowledging the true scope of the narcotics problem, choosing instead to lay blame on the U.S. consumer market. Foreign Minister Francisco Carrion's repeated public statements against the Manta FOL in contrast to his emphatic demand for an ATPDEA extension as a reward for Ecuador's international counter-narcotics obligations epitomizes the GOE's schizophrenic approach to the regional drug war. We will continue to define, both publicly and privately, the regional drug fight as multi-faceted, of which the Manta FOL is key. More successes like this will surely impact public opinion and push high-ranking GOE officials to acknowledge and address the narcotics threat accordingly. JEWELL