NAS MONTHLY REPORT, SEPTEMBER 2007

UNCLAS LIMA 003365 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR INL/LP STATE FOR WHA/PPC ONDCP FOR LT COL RONALD GARNER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SNAR KCRM ASEC PREL PE SUBJECT: NAS MONTHLY REPORT, SEPTEMBER 2007 REF: A. LIMA 3163 ¶B. LIMA 3229 ¶C. LIMA 3066 -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (U) The key developments in September 2007: ** IEDs in coca fields kill a coca farmer and seriously injure a 12-year-old boy. ** During eradication, 21 IEDs were either disarmed or exploded, injuring four eradicators and two police. ** As of September 30, CORAH has eradicated a total of 6,771 hectares. ** Former cocalero leader Nelson Palomino loses his leadership position; Chavez supporter supplants him. ** Strict flying procedures mean UH-2 flying hours sufficient to stay within contractual limit. ** Police pre-Academies educate students to pass police exam and also foster good community/police relations. ** DIRANDRO has started its first-ever coordinated drug interdiction operation in the VRAE. ** Peruvian Customs has improved its interdiction skills at Lima air/seaport; a clear trend toward nationalization. ** New seaport-connectivity program links 13 Peruvian Coast Guard Ops Centers to monitor suspicious ships/boats/cargo. ** Two-day regional youth leadership meeting in Ayacucho, ends with anti-drug march with extensive press coverage. ** Community Anti-Drug Coalition initiative expanding from 6 to 12 coalitions. END SUMMARY -------------- BOOBY TRAPS KILL FARMER AND INJURE OTHERS -------------- ¶2. (U) On September 27, a coca farmer was killed by one IED (or booby trap),planted by the cocaleros themselves, while crossing an illegal coca field in the Polvora District. He is the first person to die because of one of these explosive devices. On September 28, a 12-year old boy also activated an IED, injuring his leg. He is now in stable condition. ¶3. (U) In an interview with the daily "La Republica", Jorge Valencia, head of the supply-control office at the anti-drug agency DEVIDA, reported an alarming increase in the number of attacks on coca eradication brigades this year. Valencia said that there were 93 attacks through the end of August, compared to 47 attacks in all of 2006 and only 23 in 2005. Valencia said that his office has registered seven direct attacks on eradicators and 23 acts of harassment involving firearms. As a result of these attacks, one eradication worker has been killed and 19 wounded in the first 8 months of the year. Valencia also reported the deactivation of 54 mines, which were planted to injure or kill members of the eradication brigades (Ref A). ¶4. (U) This month, 21 IEDs have either been disarmed or exploded, injuring a total of four eradicators and two police. Injuries have not been severe because eradicators are using appropriate safety gear and equipment, as well as using additional precautions. These extra safety measures have meant that eradication is moving at a slower pace. Materials used to prepare IEDs, including a car battery have also been found. On September 21, CORAH began using four mine-detecting devices loaned to them by the police. So far, they have found two camouflaged IEDs. -------------- ERADICATION CONTINUES IN TOCACHE AND UCAYALI -------------- ¶5. (U) As of September 30, CORAH has eradicated a total of 6,771 hectares and eliminated 32,574 square meters of seedbeds of illegal coca. Seven holes in the ground, used to hide explosives, and five cocaine-production laboratories, destroyed by the police, were also discovered. An additional 4 cocaine-production labs were found and destroyed in the second front of eradication operations in Ucayali. NAS is coordinating eradication operations with USAID to support the Alternative Development Program (ADP) in the Tocache area. CORAH will begin eradicating in non-complying ADP communities beginning in October. ¶6. (U) CORAH is working in Santa Lucia on a television commercial that will be part of the communications campaign "Campos que matan" (Fields that Kill). The campaign is being financed by the U.S. Military Information Support Team (MIST) at post. -------------- -------------- COCA-GROWERS' GROUP OUSTS PALOMINO FROM LEADERSHIP -------------- -------------- ¶7. (SBU) The National Confederation of Coca Growers of Peru (CONPACCP) held its sixth annual "National Congress" September 10-15 in the northern coastal city of Trujillo. Peru's largest coca-growers' organization elected new leadership September 14. Former leader Nelson Palomino, whose recent moderation was seen as bought by the GOP, lost his seat to individuals associated with the Peruvian Nationalist Party (PNP) and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. In contrast to previous sessions which saw attendance by rank and file growers in the thousands, this year's meeting consisted of elected regional leaders only. Total attendance was approximately 120. The cocalero group also announced a nationwide strike for September 24 that fizzled due to a lack of popular support (Ref B). -------------- -------------- HELICOPTER FLYING HOURS WILL NOT EXCEED CONTRACTUAL LIMIT -------------- -------------- ¶8. (U) NAS Aviation continues to monitor helicopter flying hours to ensure that the total yearly of 7200 hours provided in the maintenance contract (with DynCorp) is not reached before October 31 when the contract ends. Whenever possible, fixed-wing aircraft (INL, PNP, or rented) are being used for reconnaissance and administrative flights in lieu of helicopters. As reported in earlier NAS Monthly Reports, these measures are due in part to the increase in flying time required to move CORAH and the PNP security support to the conflict-prone Yanajanca area south of Santa Lucia. The UH-2s also flew more hours because the PNP MI-17s were often not available in June and July. NAS should be able to fly nearly 100 percent of the allocated 7200 flight hours. -------------- FAP C-26 RETURNS TO PERU FROM OKLAHOMA -------------- ¶9. (U) On September 28, the FAP C-26 that was being structurally modified for the new digital camera by the contractor ARINC in Oklahoma returned to Lima. ARINC will complete the installation of the camera in late October in Lima. The second FAP C-26 is scheduled for modification in Oklahoma later this year. This will provide two C-26s that are capable of using either the FLIR or the digital camera for detailed images and photos of the CN operations areas, in addition to its transport role. -------------- -------------- Police Presence--and Better Futures--East of the Andes -------------- -------------- ¶10. (U) The 3 NAS-sponsored Police pre-Academies, with a total of 764 students enrolled this year, are starting to provide a better-prepared pool of candidates for the 3 NAS/PNP Academies east of the Andes. In 2007, half of the Mazamari pre-Academy students passed the PNP entrance exams; next year we are aiming for 70 percent. The main goals for all the Police Academies are to increase the number of well-trained CN police east of the Andes and to increase the overall government presence. The pre-Academy program is also improving community-police relations, despite some bumps in the road. In a study of the impact of the pre-Academies and Police Academies in Mazamari, a NAS evaluation team found the locally recruited students are contributing not only to security in previously lawless zones, but are also a source of pride to their extended family circles and communities. Those students who are not able to enter a Police Academy will have a stronger educational base that will allow them to pursue technical--and more economically viable--careers (Ref C). -------------- - DIRANDRO IMPROVES ITS PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT -------------- - ¶11. (U) The NAS Police Program has been assisting DIRANDRO in the development of a new organizational design and structure that would greatly expand its presence east of the Andes. The new design will seek to improve the planning, management, and control of NAS-supported police counternarcotics personnel and resources. When fully implemented it should also provide DIRANDRO with a better organized and standardized command and unit structure that will allow it to plan and implement operations with other PNP units, the Armed Forces, and other government entities. -------------- -------------- FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND POLICE OPERATION STARTS IN THE VRAE -------------- -------------- ¶12. (U) On September 8, DIRANDRO initiated its first coordinated drug interdiction operation in the VRAE. This operation is a first because it involves the coordinated use of PNP land, river, air, intelligence, and psychological warfare teams. DIRANDRO personnel from the police bases in Ayacucho, Mazamari, and Palmapampa are participating in the operation. Police have established road interdiction checkpoints (including canines that can detect drugs, precursor chemicals, and money) and police riverine patrols of nearby waterways. Intelligence teams are providing signal and human intelligence. The target areas are being selected by DIRANDRO with key information provided by the NAS-funded ARGIS system (a geographic information system that tracks the price of coca leaf, precursor chemicals, and laboratory/supply seizures east of the Andes). The ARGIS system also allows DIRANDRO to analyze the impact of their efforts. -------------- PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF VRAE POLICE OPERATION -------------- ¶13. (U) From September 8-14, DIRANDRO reports that the following has been accomplished: ¶A. 16 cocaine-production laboratories destroyed. ¶B. 70.2 kg of cocaine base seized. ¶C. 3,690 kg of precursor chemicals destroyed. ¶D. 1,984 kg of precursor chemicals seized (including 45 mules and a horse that were being used to transport the chemicals). ¶E. 76,000 kg of macerated coca leaf destroyed. ¶F. 13 arrested on a variety of drug-related offenses. ¶G. 4 firearms seized. -------------- -------------- CUSTOMS' INTERDICTION OPERATIONS CONTINUE TO IMPROVE -------------- -------------- ¶14. (SBU) At the Jorge Chavez International Airport (JCIA), 254 kg of cocaine were seized during September in air cargo, passenger luggage, and internal carriers (mules). This amounts to 3,509 kg seized and 545 arrests so far this year. In the first 45 days of operation of the x-ray body scanner (August 10 to September 30),709 people were scanned for a total of 64 positive internal carriers (9 percent). After one year of NAS and USCBP advisory support, Peruvian Customs (SUNAT) is managing the interdiction operations at JCIA on its own, demonstrating a clear trend toward nationalization. In another example of program nationalization, SUNAT runs the Peruvian Post Office (SERPOST) program with only minor NAS support. Last month, there were 129 kg of cocaine HCL seized in 35 items. ¶15. (SBU) On September 20, SUNAT received confirmation from Dutch authorities that an alert issued by the NAS-sponsored Manifest Review Unit (MRU) on three suspicious shipping containers proved positive for 1.5 metric tons of cocaine HCl. This alert was investigated, developed, and issued strictly by SUNAT authorities based on MRU information. The Dutch inspection had already missed the drugs and the containers were being released when the Peruvian alert stopped them. -------------- -------------- NEW DATABASE SYSTEM LINKS ALL PERUVIAN PORT AUTHORITIES -------------- -------------- ¶16. (SBU) In another joint program, NAS,DEA, and TAT-JIATF-South are supporting the implementation of "SIMON," a port-connectivity program linking 13 Peruvian Coast Guard (DiCapi) operations centers, which cover the coastline of Peru and major river ports. SIMON consists of a database linked via the Internet that will allow an information exchange to monitor suspicious ships/boats/cargo. The system will significantly improve the interdiction capability and situational awareness of DiCapi. The SIMON database will share information with the existing MRU, SUNAT, and PNP databases and intelligence research systems. ¶17. (SBU) NAS supported the Air Carrier Initiative Program that aims to train Immigration and SUNAT officials working at the airports in Cuzco, Chiclayo, and Iquitos to identify false documents (visas, passports, etc.) and imposters. These three airports will be receiving international passenger and cargo flights within the next two years, making it critical for airport authorities to receive this training to prevent the circumvention of counter drug efforts at JCIA. -------------- TWO-DAY YOUTH LEADERSHIP MEETING IN AYACUCHO -------------- ¶18. (U) The NAS media project joined with CEDRO, a drug demand reduction NGO, and the Ministry of Interior to organize a two-day regional youth leadership meeting in Ayacucho, a major drug production and transit zone, under the banner "Yes to Development, No to Drugs". Youth leaders learned about the impact of drug trafficking on Peruvian society, the economy and culture, promoting a culture of lawfulness in their communities and how to use the public media. The meeting concluded with a youth march through the city streets. Local press coverage was extensive and favorable. Students from the NAS-supported police and pre-police academies participated as did the son of prominent national cocalero leader Nelson Palomino. NAS plans to continue to support a youth leaders program in 2008. -------------- -------------- COMMUNITY ANTI-DRUG COALITIONS INCREASE FROM 6 TO 12 -------------- -------------- ¶19. (U) NAS awarded 9 cooperative agreements to NGOs to develop a total of 12 community anti-drug coalitions (CAC). Six NGOs are continuing to strengthen and expand the CACs they started in FY 2005. Three of those six will also start a new CAC, while 3 new NGOs will start new CACs in the Lima metropolitan area. We have developed a new and improved Logic Model and Plan of Action for the CACs to more effectively manage and measure results. NAS is also looking to other NGOs to investigate, record, and standardize the strategies needed to reduce the risk factors and strengthen the protective factors related to drug abuse. This standardization effort has never been done before in Peru. MCKINLEY