COSTA RICA: UPDATED SECURITY REQUIREMENTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SAN JOSE 002074 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR WHA/CEN HILLARY THOMPSON AND WHA/FO GIOVANNI SNIDLE AND INL/LP AIMEE MARTIN E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/13/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL PINS PTER SNAR CS KJUS PREF SUBJECT: COSTA RICA: UPDATED SECURITY REQUIREMENTS REF: A. STATE 163495 ¶B. STATE 107145 ¶C. SAN JOSE 1618 ¶D. WHA/CEN-SAN JOSE EMAIL OF 12/06/07 Classified By: CDA Peter M. Brennan for reason 1.4 (d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: The GOCR's most pressing, non-lethal police equipment needs center on communications, transportation, technology, K-9 support, and surveillance equipment (in that order, see para 5). Coast Guard modernization remains on top of the list of other initiatives to be funded by the pending FY2008 Merida Initiative supplemental and potentially in out years. (We have updated and refined the original list presented in Ref C, see paras 6-9.) Together, these projects clearly fall under the first and second pillars of the Merida Initiative: Counternarcotics, Counterterrorism and Border Security; and Public Security and Law Enforcement. We believe that regional security would be significantly and positively impacted by fully funding these initiatives as well as by appropriate and complementary training programs. In addition, we believe the GOCR could benefit from the technical assistance for prison management (initial assessment and planning survey) outlined under the third Merida pillar: Institution Building and Rule of Law. We have not yet had the opportunity to review this with GOCR prison officials, however. Overall, the GOCR remains committed to cooperating with the Central American Integration System (SICA) to combat narcotrafficking, trafficking in weapons, and trafficking in persons. END SUMMARY. -------------- GOCR COMMITMENTS TO SICA -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Carlos Cordero, Director of the Terrorism and Disarmament Foreign Policy Office of the MFA, assured us that the GOCR was cooperating with SICA in narcotrafficking, weapons trafficking and trafficking in persons (TIP). As a member of the Central American Permanent Commission (CCP), Costa Rica was jointly developing policies and programs to fight narcotrafficking. Cordero agreed that the Costa Rican Coast Guard (SNGC),the GOCR's only asset with "regional" reach, was in dire need of modernized equipment and training to properly conduct their maritime interdiction mission. ¶3. (SBU) Through the UN-funded Central American Small Arms Control (CASAC),Cordero said the GOCR will manage a budget and programs to combat trafficking in weapons (NFI). The program is to start next year and will be managed by the Ministry of Public Security (MPS). On TIP, Cordero acknowledged that the GOCR's program overall lacked a strong budget and suffered from poor interagency coordination. ¶4. (SBU) On gang-related violence, Cordero said that Costa Rica did not have a problem, unlike elsewhere in the region. Because Costa Rica does not suffer from gang-related violence, Cordero said the GOCR did not need assistance in that area at this moment. -------------- THE NON-LETHAL LIST -------------- ¶5. (SBU) To collect input from the GOCR on their prioritized non-lethal police equipment needs, we met with several high-level law enforcement officials, including Minister of Public Security Fernando Berrocal and Director of the Judicial Police (OIJ) Jorge Rojas. With their input and Post's assessment, here is the prioritized list of Costa Rica's most pressing non-lethal police equipment needs. This list has been endorsed by Post's inter-agency Law Enforcement Committee. We will provide more details (and notional cost figures) when provided by the GOCR, but we wanted Washington decision makers to have something to start with. We view these needs as consistent with the program outlined in the Department's briefing materials to Congress (Ref D): -- Police radios and communications infrastructure. -- Transportation assets including at least 12 Ford Explorer-type rough terrain vehicles and at least 10 regular police patrol vehicles. -- K-9 support including at least six more trained anti-drug and anti-explosive dogs. -- Body armor (at least 1000 new protective vests). -- Development of AFIS-type fingerprint program. -- Laptops with printers for on-scene criminal investigations. -- Mobile surveillance equipment to outfit a van or truck-type vehicle. -- Larger vehicles (1-4 buses) to transport groups of police officers. (The Ministry of Public Security only has one). -- Forensics lamps. -- Night-vision goggles. -- IBIS-type forensic ballistic tools. In our view, the first four elements are the most important (radio and communications, vehicles, K-9 assets and protective vests). -------------- UPDATED OUT YEAR SECURITY NEEDS -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Based on GOCR input (including from new, more vigorous coast guard leadership) and an updated Post assessment (from an intensive evaluation of the Costa Rican Coast Guard by our Office of Defense Representative and NAS officer),we suggest the following initiatives. These support USG and GOCR law enforcement objectives and are consistent with the SICA regional security strategy. We have structured our updated assessment within the framework of the Administration's FY08 Merida Initiative Supplemental and the FY2009 Merida Initiative request with OMB. We cover FY08, 09, and 10. ¶7. (C) PRIORITIZED LIST OF USG ASSISTANCE FOR FY08 MERIDA INITIATIVE SUPPLEMENTAL ($1.975 million total) A) REFIT INOPERABLE COAST GUARD 65-FT PATROL BOAT IN LIMON ($900K): Two new engines, electronics, navigation, communications and radar equipment and a repaired/replaced hull on the GOCR's 65-foot patrol boat in Limon would provide Costa Rica with patrol capability on its Caribbean coast. Currently, the GOCR has virtually no such capability. The GOCR Caribbean "fleet" consists of one 25-foot Eduardono-type boat with only one (of two) engines fully operational and one 12-foot Boston-whaler type river patrol boat. Putting the 65-foot patrol boat in operation, which has been out of service since October 2006 due to the lack of spare parts and old, unreliable engines, would greatly enhance Costa Rica's ability to patrol its Caribbean waters and work with USG assets under the Bilateral Maritime Agreement. B) BUY TWO NEW 39-FT MIDNIGHT EXPRESS TYPE BOATS ($600K): The Costa Rican Coast Guard's (SNGC) current "fleet" of medium to large-size patrol boats (three 82-footers and two 65-footers) are aging (some approaching over 35 years of service between U.S. and SNGC usage) and need to be replaced, eventually. Acquiring these more modern and much faster craft, which would give the SNGC the capability to intercept drug-running "go-fasts" as well as to stop and board other vessels, is a good place to start, and would be a smarter investment in the short-term. Even refurbished, the existing SNGC patrol boats cannot easily intercept smaller, faster drug runners. C) MODERNIZE ALL ELECTRONICS ON TWO 82-FT PATROL BOATS ($175K): Replace and modernize all the electronics on two of the SNGC's 82-foot patrol boats. This includes the navigation, communications, and radar systems (which would provide night-time operating capability) on board. Their current electronics gear on board is at least 20 years out of date and often does not operate due to lack of spare parts. Replacing this gear enhances the SNGC's surveillance capabilities and thus improving Costa Rica's contribution to regional counter narcotics and counter trafficking efforts. D) REFIT FOUR EXISTING 25-FT EDUARDONO-TYPE "GO-FAST" PATROL BOATS ($300K): Replace and repair engines, hulls, and upgrade navigation and communications on four of the SNGC's existing "go-fast" patrol boats. Refitting these existing hulls will provide immediate capability to the SNGC to pursue and board close to shore drug smuggling vessels. E) THE RESULT: This investment would leave the SNGC with a much more capable "fleet" on both the Caribbean and Pacific Coasts, including four operational patrol boats, two Midnight Express-type fast boats, and smaller craft. ¶8. (C) PRIORITIZED LIST OF USG ASSISTANCE FOR FY09 MERIDA INITIATIVE REQUEST WITH OMB ($2.035 million total) A) REFIT COAST GUARD TWO 82-FT PATROL BOATS ($1.6M): This would continue the modernization started in FY08 for the two 82-foot patrol boats by replacing all of their engines and transmissions. B) BUY ONE NEW 39-FT MIDNIGHT-EXPRESS TYPE BOAT ($300K): This purchase would further interdiction capability and nearly complete the goal of providing four new medium-size, high-speed patrol boats to supplement the SNGC's current aging fleet. C) INSTALL FORWARD LOOKING INFRARED RADAR (FLIR) ON THREE AIR UNIT SURVEILLANCE AIRCRAFT ($135K): This would maximize use of existing assets in arguably the best-maintained, equipped and utilized unit within the Ministry of Public Security. FLIR installation would enhance the detection of trafficking activity, especially along the porous border with Panama, essentially wide open now to illegal traffic of all types. This would be another GOCR contribution to regional security efforts. The Air Unit has three aircraft that could be FLIR equipped. D) THE RESULT: Combined with the FY08 initiatives, this would leave the SNGC with four refitted patrol boats and three new Midnight Express-type fast boats, and the Ministry of Public Security's small air unit with a much enhanced border surveillance capability. ¶9. (C) PRIORITIZED LIST OF USG ASSISTANCE FOR FY10 MERIDA INITIATIVE REQUEST WITH OMB ($2.8 million total) A) REFIT INOPERABLE COAST GUARD 105-FT PATROL BOAT ($2.5M): This refit would include two new engines, hull repair, and upgrade and replacement of all electronic (navigation, communications, radar) systems. Although less of a priority than refitting the 82-foot and 65-foot assets (and the purchase of four Midnight-Express type boats),putting this largest patrol craft into operation would greatly enhance Costa Rica's maritime capabilities (to include the ability to conduct fisheries patrols),enabling the SNGC to operate as far offshore as Cocos Island (250 miles from the Pacific coast). B) BUY ONE NEW 39-FT MIDNIGHT-EXPRESS TYPE BOAT ($300K): This purchase would complete the goal of providing four new medium-size, high-speed patrol boats to supplement the SNGC's current aging fleet. C) THE RESULT: If this entire FY08-10 package were financed, the SNGC would have five operational patrol boats, four modern "go-fasts" of their own, and the capability to patrol much of GOCR's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). This would yield clear benefits not only for Costa Rican law enforcement, but for regional security cooperation. -------------- GOCR WELCOMES ASSISTANCE IN PRISON MGMT -------------- ¶10. (SBU) We met with Minister of Justice (and Vice-President) Laura Chinchilla to discuss prison management issues. Chinchilla welcomed any assistance that the USG can provide to improve Costa Rica's prison system. She highlighted the plight of criminals who are not properly rehabilitated and end up becoming career criminals. She specifically requested assistance in how to better integrate criminals back into society by giving them useful job skills. Chinchilla agreed that Costa Rica needed a thorough survey of how it can better train its prison employees. She said the infrastructure lacked basic communications and office equipment, including computers and better databases for prison management. Two areas of particular concern to her were the high rates of crime among minors and women. Concentrating on the issue of women who are often arrested for transporting drugs as human "mules," she said better programs were needed to address the "orphans" left when their (often) single mothers went to jail. Speaking to greater narcotics problems among the population in Costa Rica, Chinchilla said that crack cocaine was the most destructive drug on the streets, and requested any help/guidance we could provide based on U.S. expertise in this regard. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶11. (C) The Arias administration has taken significant steps against regional (mostly maritime) drug trafficking, but the problem is only getting worse. The realistic investment plan outlined above would keep Costa Rica moving in the right direction by maintaining and increasing the GOCR's ability to interdict drug shipments. This plan would also give the GOCR needed basic tools and equipment to deal with rising crime rates, a nagging worry among citizens that also has a direct impact on the approximately 50,000 Americans living permanently in Costa Rica and approximately 750,000 American tourists who visit every year. This investment thus would contribute not only to the SICA regional security strategy (highlighting the importance of regional cooperation in the process),but also to Costa Rica's own domestic security plans and the safety/security of U.S. citizens in Costa Rica. BRENNAN