NAS MONTHLY REPORT FOR FEBRUARY 2007

UNCLAS LIMA 000767 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 FOR FEBRUARY 2007 REF: A. A) LIMA 0552 ¶B. B) LIMA 0658 C) LIMA 0683 -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (U) The key developments in February 2007: Eradication operations resumed; new PNP high command visit NAS-supported schools/bases en masse; CODEL inspects deforestation in drug producing area; F, Director of Foreign Assistance, helicopters to the field to see the nexus between eradication and alternative development activities; interdiction activity in the VRAE and Upper Huallaga continues at strong pace; StaffDel briefed on counternarcotics, trends and challenges; Air Police get their own instructor pilots; NAS-sponsored Airports Program on track for record seizures of cocaine - canines score big in one bust. END SUMMARY -------------- - ERADICATION BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 9 IN SAN MARTIN -------------- - ¶2. (SBU) On February 9, the new Peruvian National Police command structure finally gave orders to begin interdiction and eradication operations after delays for various causes. Operations began in the San Martin Department, where USAID alternative development programs are offered following eradication. As of February 27, CORAH had eradicated 385 hectares and eliminated 3,414 square meters of seedbeds, many in areas where legal crops were growing. This was a slow start for the program -- CORAH had planned to field two groups of 200 eradicators and 100 police on a three-day rotating schedule, but a low turnout of security police meant that only one group of eradicators/police went out, working four days and resting two. (U) NAS meets regularly with AID, CORAH and CADA to coordinate programmed eradication and alternative development activities to avoid duplicating efforts in the field. NAS is also discussing with the UNODC the possible links between reforestation and programmed eradication. -------------- -------------- CODEL NELSON VISITS DEFORESTED AREA IN COCA-GROWING AREA -------------- -------------- ¶3. (U) Senator Bill Nelson visited Peru's high jungle city of Tarapoto to view woodlands deforested by coca cultivation and traditional agricultural pressures. CODEL Nelson also visited the sites of USG programs to provide alternatives to coca and slash-and-burn agriculture, i.e., a USAID-supported indigenous coffee cooperative and the NAS-supported Institute for Tropical Crops. The Department of San Martin, of which Tarapoto is the principal economic center, has the highest deforestation rate in Peru. In addition to being one of the largest producers of illicit coca, San Martin exports the most wood products. Other human deforestation pressures include agriculture (60% of the economic activity) and livestock ranching. Senator Nelson also visited Lima, where he met with President Garcia (Ref B). -------------- -------------- Visit of Randall Tobias, Director of Foreign Assistance/USAID Administrator -------------- -------------- ¶4. (U) On February 28, after visiting the PDA program in Tocache, Ambassador Tobias and his staff went by helicopter to a nearby coca field where eradication was taking place. Tobias was briefed by CORAH on manual eradication procedures and shown coca plants at various stages of growth and how coca can be hidden among licit crops like cacao. The eradication team consisted of 110 CORAH eradicators and 55 Peruvian Police. Although these particular fields were free of improvised explosive devices, the eradicator demonstrated their protective gear, emphasizing the constant dangers present. (U) Ambassador Tobias continued to the Santa Lucia police base to see both police program activities, particularly the NAS-sponsored Academy where 250 students were set to graduate on March 2. He also witnessed eradication operations in a nearby plot of illicit coca. The group saw the destruction of a rustic lab, its presence demonstrating the direct link between illicit coca cultivation and narcotrafficking. -------------- STAFFDEL BRIEFED ON CN PROGRAMS -------------- ¶5. (SBU) A Staffdel led by Robin Roizman, Senior Staffer for the HFAC, and including HFAC Investigative Counsel John Mackey, visited Lima mid-month to discuss the overall direction of foreign assistance for Peru. NAS briefed Roizman and Mackey on the counter-narcotics context, trends and challenges, as well as on the specifics of our programs (police academy graduations, nexus between eradication and alternative development, communications program, community anti-drug coalitions, and the aviation/UH-2 program). Mackey was supportive of the programs, but expressed concerns about potential opium poppy cultivation in Peru, and the relatively little European support for counternarcotics efforts, considering that a substantial amount of Peruvian cocaine goes to Europe. Mackey urged Peruvian officials to engage the EU on the shared responsibility consumer nations have for narcotrafficking. -------------- -------------- INTERDICTION CONTINUES AND PNP TRAIN IN COLOMBIA -------------- -------------- ¶6. (U) In February, DIRANDRO teams in the VRAE and Upper Huallaga areas destroyed 34 cocaine production laboratories, seized 1,650 kg of precursor chemicals, 580 kg of cocaine HCl, and 702 kg of cocaine base. The price of the coca leaf has remained steady during the month at 70 Nuevo Soles per arroba in the VRAE and 120 in the Upper Huallaga. (COMMENT: NAS will now use the term "cocaine production laboratory" to describe what we have previously referred to as "cocaine-base labs" or "rustic labs" or "pozo pits". This change in terminology more accurately describes this first step in the cocaine production process and the sophistication of the operations currently being found. END COMMENT.) (U) NAS Director and Director General of the Peruvian Police, the chief of DIRANDRO, and four other police generals, as well as NAS Police Advisors, visited Ayacucho and Mazamari to inspect the police training academies (ref c). More than 700 new police officers from NAS-supported academies will graduate on March 2, making room for the next class. (U) On February 12, five PNP officers from the CN police bases in Mazamari and Santa Lucia traveled to Colombia to participate in a four-month jungle operations training. To receive this training, the officers committed to serve a minimum of three years of CN duty in the VRAE and Upper Huallaga areas. (U) On February 21, NAS inaugurated the new Canine Center at the PNP base in Santa Lucia and graduated eight dogs (and handlers). The eight canines are specially trained in detecting explosives, IED identification, how to search open areas such as coca fields, and how to search in occupied and unoccupied buildings. In addition, five PNP officers trained at the U.S. Customs training facility in Virginia have been assigned to the center. Representatives from U.S. Customs International Division HQ-Washington participated in the events along with PNP officials. -------------- -------------- PILOT AND AIRCREW TRAINING MOVING TOWARD NATIONALIZATION -------------- -------------- ¶7. (U) Training continued through the month at the base in Pucallpa for the four new Air Police instructor pilots (IP). The pilots successfully concluded the check rides given on February 21-22 by the NAS Aviation Operations Advisor. On February 23, a graduation ceremony for the new IPs was held in Pucallpa and was presided over by NAS Director Susan Keogh; Air Police Director General Ricardo Benavides, and DynCorp representatives. The four new IPs will conduct the next UH-2 transition training, scheduled for March 15, for the class of Air Police pilots that will be graduating from the Initial Rotary-Wing training course at Helicopter Adventures Inc., Titusville, FL. This will be the first time that the UH-2 training will be conducted entirely by Peruvian Air Police instructor pilots and represents a significant step towards "nationalization" of the program. (U) In a further step toward nationalization, the PNP agreed to have DynCorp assume increased responsibility for qualifying more pilots in the use of night-vision-goggles (NVG) and for training more crew chiefs (flying maintenance technicians). DynCorp has also agreed to grant Air Police operations and maintenance managers access to AWIS, DynCorp's web-based aviation maintenance management program in order to ultimately transfer the responsibility for tracking the status of aircrew (such as up-to-date flight physicals) and maintenance requirements to Peruvians. (SBU) General Ricardo Benavides, Aviation Police Director, ordered his maintenance personnel to restore his fleet of fixed-wing aircraft to airworthy condition or eliminate them from the inventory. An Aero-Commander twin turboprop aircraft was returned to flyable condition and DIRAVPOL is close to finishing repairs on the Beechcraft E-90 twin turboprop - this will provide the Air Police with increased executive and logistics transportation and thereby reducing the need to use UH-2 helicopters in logistics/administrative support roles. (U) Work continues on the repair of the runway at FOL Santa Lucia - estimated July completion. Concurrently, NAS commissioned an airfield lighting survey for Santa Lucia and Mazamari to determine the cost of being able to conduct night operations from these airfields. (SBU) In preparation for a Maritime counter drug exercise "Operation All Inclusive 2007" to be conducted in March, the FAP deployed a C-26 to El Pato Airbase at Talara on the northern coast of Peru to conduct area and airport day and night familiarization. In order to enhance the reconnaissance capability of the C-26, NAS is in the process of funding the acquisition of a digital imaging camera which can be slaved to the FLIR system to provide enhanced imaging of FLIR targets. (U) NAS Director and NAS Senior Aviation Advisor attended the INL/A Aviation Management Conference at Patrick Air Force Base, FL from February 26 to March 1. -------------- -------------- PORTS AND MARITIME OPERATIONS -------------- -------------- ¶8. (U) Between February 1-26, NAS-sponsored Peruvian Customs and Counterdrug Police at the international airport and SERPOST (Post Office) seized a total of 652.206 kgs of cocaine HCL. Specifically, the Peruvian Customs, Police, and Immigration, trained and advised by NAS Ports Program officer, seized 597.206 kgs of cocaine HCL and arrested 74 traffickers. The largest seizure in February at the airport was assessed as 453 kgs of liquefied cocaine masked in &una de gata and maca8 (Peruvian natural vitamin and male enhancement supplements) that was identified by a canine and handler trained at the US Customs and Border Protection (USCBP)Academy. Since the canines and handlers returned from three-and-a-half months training in the U.S., seizures have increased markedly at Peruvian sea/airports and post offices. In February, NAS-sponsored personnel seized 55 kgs of cocaine at the Peruvian main post office, prior to international shipment of packages. (U) NAS/USCBP Canine Advisor provided support to the four-month USCBP explosives field course conducted for Peruvian National Police at Front Royal, Virginia and at Santa Lucia, Huallaga Valley, Peru, ensuring the certification of the explosives canines that should provide protection to eradication and police personnel in illegal coca fields and act as a deterrent force. (SBU) NAS Ports Program is coordinating and providing support to the upcoming DEA Operation &All Inclusive8, March 28-31 and April 10-14, along the Peruvian/Ecuador Border and Coastal areas. NAS is coordinating with the Peruvian Navy and Coast Guard to provide support to the DEA-sponsored Joint Peruvian/Law Enforcement Task Force through two Sea Ark interdiction boats (donated by NAS) and Peruvian Navy Counterdrug operational elements. The Command Center for the operation is a NAS facility near the Port of Paita. Additionally, NAS Ports and Aviation Programs are coordinating with the Peruvian Air Force for off-coast FLIR reconnaissance during this operation. No-notice mobile road blocks by Peruvian Customs will also occur along all major northern Peruvian road systems leading into Ecuador from Peru as well as reinforcing the two primary Peruvian Customs Stations along the Peruvian/Ecuadorian border. The NAS/DEA Manifest Review Unit will assist the operation through research, intelligence information, and analysis. We are also coordinating with Peruvian Counterdrug Police (DIRANDRO) and DEA on security support to Peruvian Customs roadblocks in areas that have sparse law enforcement presence. -------------- -------------- UPDATE ON PUSH FOR A NEW NON-PENAL ASSET FORFEITURE LAW -------------- -------------- ¶9. (U) Last month (January 12),the Government of Alan Garcia introduced into Peru's Congress a proposed law that will permit the administrative seizure of illicitly gained assets. The NAS money laundering project advisors, together with the local UN Office of Drug and Crime Control, are working closely with the Ministry of Justice to mount a campaign to sell the draft law to Peruvian lawmakers in the Congressional session that begins in March 2007. STRUBLE