PARAGUAY'S 2008 FIRST QUARTER INL REPORT

UNCLAS ASUNCION 000232 SIPDIS SIPDIS FOR WHA/BSC KBEAMER, INL/LP DGRAHAM E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SNAR AFIN KCRIM PA SUBJECT: PARAGUAY'S 2008 FIRST QUARTER INL REPORT ¶1. SUMMARY: The Government of Paraguay, through the National Anti-Drug Secretariat (SENAD),has continued to make advances in its drug enforcement activities, including the capture of important drug traffickers linked to the Brazilian groups Primer Commando Capital (PCC) and Commando Vermelho, important seizures of cocaine and marijuana, and the destruction of marijuana crops. END SUMMARY. ¶2. Program Discussion: ¶A. Demand Reduction The Prevention Program is continuing to reach hundreds of participants each month in the central district and in the Department of Amambay. The program includes formal workshops, informal sessions, public seminars, and the dissemination of informative materials. ¶B. Narcotics Detection Canine (K-9)Program: The canine program continues to enhance the overall efforts of SENAD's drug interdiction program. Two new canines were added to the program on 3/14, and have already contributed to several seizures. On a sad note, one of SENAD's senior canines, Dax, died on 4/2. The incident occurred during a temporary duty assignment in the city of Mariscal Estigaribia, 350 miles northwest of Asuncion. An autopsy is being performed by a private veterinarian hospital in order to determine the cause of Dax's death. A SENAD K-9 detected 3 kgs of cocaine inside international courier boxes bound for Johannesburg, South Africa at the Silvio Pettirossi Airport in Asuncion on 3/26. The cocaine was hidden in 90 boxes containing thread bobbins. The packages were mailed by Anne Caroline Wender and were addressed to Lance Murphy of the Gallica Corporation in South Africa. SENAD's K-9 unit seized 8 kgs of cocaine at the Silvio Pettirossi Airport on 1/26. The drugs were concealed in a suitcase bound to Madrid, Spain and registered to Marcelo Aez Melgar, a Bolivian national. According to SENAD intelligence, the drugs may have traveled overland from Bolivia through Mariscal Estigarribia. SENAD continues with the investigation. ¶C. Law Enforcement Accomplishments: In one of the most important arrests conducted during this quarter, SENAD apprehended Brazilian national Walter Tomaz Inacio (AKA Pagodeiro) on 3/26. He is a notorious drug trafficker and head of the First Commando Capital (PCC) stationed in the Parana department, 350 miles east of Asuncion. During this operation, Juyial Fabiano Rossi and Alexis Gomes were also arrested and two vehicles were confiscated by SENAD. In a separate operation, SENAD agents arrested Brazilian national Sandro Jose Olivera (AKA Gordao) on 3/13, an important member of Commando Vermelho. Gordao is wanted by the Brazilian Federal Police for drug trafficking and other crimes. He is also identified as the brother-in-law of Brazil's most wanted drug trafficker, Fernadinho Beira Mar. Gordao ran a trafficking network that supplied the Brazilian interior with marijuana. On 3/29, SENAD agents seized 1,259 kgs of marijuana ready to be sent to Argentina. The seizure occurred in Cadete Pando district, Presidente Hayes Department, 150 miles northwest of Asuncion. SENAD also arrested three men, impounded one pick-up truck, airplane fuel, ammunition and six semiautomatic firearms. SENAD agents worked with Paraguay's antinarcotics prosecutors to lay the ground work for this successful operation. Paraguayan nationals Fernando Meza, Fernando Meza Gill and Buenaventura Campos were also arrested. The investigation to date indicates that the marijuana belongs to a retired Army mayor, whose last name is Ferreira, and that the marijuana was destined for Argentina on board a light aircraft. SENAD has reason to believe that the ranch was used by a drug trafficking network that supplied Argentina and Uruguay with marijuana. Within the last quarter, SENAD conducted a series of marijuana eradication operations in the departments of Amambay and Canindeyu, 350 miles northeast of Asuncion. During the operations, SENAD destroyed 428 hectares of marijuana crops, confiscated 3,285 kgs. of marijuana, 40 kgs. of seeds, and 16 press machines. These operations hit drug traffickers hard, with approximately 12 million U.S dollars in losses. SENAD's special agents seized 2,600 small balls of hashish hidden inside the dashboard of a Nissan pickup truck found in a house in the Hernandarias region (Alto Parana Department) on 3/10. SENAD agents arrested Paraguayan nationals Lorenzo Talavera and Nelson Augusto Davalos Duarte. ¶D. IPR The Specialized Technical Unit (UTE) under the leadership of Col. Felix Cruz has made noteworthy advances in the last three months by seizing pirated goods and targeting higher-valued assets, such hi-tech equipment used for copying CDS and DVDs. UTE's recent seizures of pirated goods and equipment exceeds USD 7.5 million in commercial value and represents its intense efforts near Ciudad Del Este, an area that has been historically known as the "paradise of intellectual property violators". ¶E. Training: INL funded a Basic Drug Enforcement Training Seminar for 50 new SENAD Special Agents which began on 2/10. The two-week training seminar focused on basic knowledge and skills required for a law enforcement officer to identify drug traffickers, initiate, and develop an investigation. This basic course was designed for investigators newly assigned to drug units or those with less than three years experience. Topics included drug identification, case initiation and development, surveillance, informant handling, interviewing and interrogation, basic undercover activities, drug arrests, raid planning exercises, and tactical training. A five week Sensitive Investigative Unit Training (SIU) was funded by INL and DEA on 2/08 for 17 SENAD Special Agents. The conceptual basis of this program was to identify and train DEA foreign counterparts to work in sensitive bilateral investigations. The personnel selected to participate in the SIU program underwent strict security screening. The vetting included drug testing, background investigations, and polygraphs. Upon successful vetting, the IU personnel traveled to the DEA training Academy in Quantico, Virginia. The SIU program is managed by DEA's country office. ¶3. Miscellaneous Issues: Quarterly SENAD statistics 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Cocaine 58 0 0 0 Seized (kg) Marijuana 9,434 0 0 0 Seized (kg) Marijuana 994Has 0 0 0 Crops Destroyed Total Arrests 75 0 0 0 Cocaine Related 15 0 0 0 Marijuana Related 39 0 0 0 Other Related 21 0 0 0 Violations CASON