BRAZIL- DEMARCHE DELIVERED -OFAC NARCOTICS KINGPIN ACT

UNCLAS BRASILIA 001257 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958:N/A TAGS: KTFN PTER PINR EFIN VE BR SNAR AND KCRM PREL SUBJECT: BRAZIL- DEMARCHE DELIVERED -OFAC NARCOTICS KINGPIN ACT DESIGNATION OF THREE SENIOR VENEZUELAN OFFICIALS REFTEL A) State 97316 B) Brasilia 1226 ¶1. (SBU) On September 18, 2008 ECONOFF delivered reftel demarche to the Council for the Control of Financial Activities (COAF) at the Ministry of Finance. COAF officials Joaquim da Cunha Neto and Bernardo Mota took delivery of the document, which outlined the reasons behind the designation of three senior Venezuelan officials under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act for materially assisting the narcotics trafficking activities of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. ¶2. (SBU) COAF officials explained that they would continue to cooperate with the U.S. government at a technical level on issues of illicit financing and narcotics trafficking. However, COAF officials cautioned that, given the political implications of the matter, any decision to proceed against the Venezuelan officials would have to be made at the highest levels of the Brazilian government. SOBEL