ARGENTINA'S INTERIOR MINISTER REQUESTS TIP

C O N F I D E N T I A L BUENOS AIRES 000838 SIPDIS SIPDIS G/TIP FOR BARBARA FLECK AND KATIE BRESNAHAN WHA/PPC FOR MIKE PUCCETTI WHA/BSC FOR DREW BLAKENEY DHS FOR ICE A/S JULIE MYERS DHS FOR OIA KEVIN O'REILLY E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/05/2017 TAGS: ASEC ELAB KCRM PHUM PREL SMIG KWMN PGOV AR SUBJECT: ARGENTINA'S INTERIOR MINISTER REQUESTS TIP BRIEFING DURING MAY 3-4 WASHINGTON TRIP REF: BUENOS AIRES 753 Classified By: AMBASSADOR E. ANTHONY WAYNE FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) On April 30, Thomas Fuentes, the FBI's Special Agent in Charge of International Operations, and Ambassador met with Interior Minister Alberto Fernandez to discuss Fernandez's May 3-4 trip to Washington. Fernandez indicated that he would be interested in receiving a briefing on how the USG coordinates our anti-trafficking in persons efforts in order to better prepare to implement the anti-trafficking law soon to be passed by Argentina's Congress. Fuentes offered to set up a briefing in coordination with counterparts from the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. Fernandez also asked to meet with the Secretary of Homeland Security during his visit. Post has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security with this request and would appreciate Department efforts to help arrange this meeting. ¶2. (C) Comment: Current debate in the Argentine Congress centers around the issue of whether or not an adult trafficking victim consented to being trafficked. Minister Fernandez noted in a previous meeting (reftel) that victim's consent should be irrelevant in the case of minor victims, but that he was unsure whether it should be relevant or not in the case of adult victims. Post recommends that any TIP briefing include a discussion on why victim's consent should be irrelevant in prosecuting trafficking cases. End Comment. WAYNE