Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08HAVANA484
2008-06-23 22:06:00
CONFIDENTIAL
US Interests Section Havana
Cable title:  

WALL JUMPER

Tags:  ASEC CU PREF 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0006
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHUB #0484/01 1752206
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 232206Z JUN 08
FM USINT HAVANA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3408
C O N F I D E N T I A L HAVANA 000484 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/23/2013
TAGS: ASEC CU PREF
SUBJECT: WALL JUMPER

Classified By: COM Michael E. Parmly for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L HAVANA 000484

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/23/2013
TAGS: ASEC CU PREF
SUBJECT: WALL JUMPER

Classified By: COM Michael E. Parmly for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (U) SUMMARY: AT 4:16 AM ON JUNE 23, ROLANDO PEREZ
PERALTA, A 37 YEAR-OLD MALE CUBAN, SCALED THE TWELVE FOOT
FENCE SURROUNDING THE U.S. INTERESTS SECTION'S ANNEX HOUSING
THE REFUGEE UNIT, AND ENTERED THE PROPERTY. HE WAS
IMMEDIATELY APPREHENDED BY USINT GUARDS, WHO CALLED THE
REGIONAL SECURITY OFFICER, THE REFUGEE COORDINATOR, AND DHS
OFFICERS TO THE SCENE. COM WAS BRIEFED THROUGHOUT, AND AN
EAC WAS HELD (SEPTEL). (SEE COMMENTS PARAS 8-9 BELOW.)
REFUGEE COORDINATOR AND DHS FIELD OFFICE DIRECTOR INTERVIEWED
PEREZ, WHO RELATED A NUMBER OF PERSONAL PROBLEMS AND
EXPRESSED A DESIRE TO TRAVEL TO THE UNITED STATES. THEY THEN
CALLED HIS MOTHER AND ASKED HER TO COME TO THE ANNEX. WHEN
SHE ARRIVED FIVE HOURS LATER, THEY LEARNED OF HIS DIAGNOSIS
OF PARANOID SCHIZOPHRENIA AND THAT HE WAS NOT TAKING HIS
PRESCRIBED MEDICATION. PEREZ AND HIS MOTHER LEFT THE ANNEX
AROUND NOON. END SUMMARY.


2. (U) THE USINT ANNEX IS PROTECTED BY TWO GUARD BOOTHS
OUTSIDE THE FACILITY, HOUSING CUBAN DIPLOMATIC SECURITY
POLICE (CALLED SEPSA). ONE OF THE SEPSA GUARDS SAW PEREZ
APPROACH THE FACILITY AT 4:15 AM, AND APPROACHED HIM, BUT
PEREZ APPARENTLY CONVINCED THE GUARD HE ONLY WANTED TO READ A
BULLETIN BOARD OUTSIDE THE FACILITY. WHEN THE GUARD WALKED
ABOUT 40 FEET AWAY, PEREZ SCALED THE 12 FOOT FENCE. WHEN THE
GUARD REALIZED WHAT PEREZ WAS DOING, HE RAN BACK TO STOP HIM,
ARRIVING JUST AS PEREZ JUMPED FROM THE TOP OF THE FENCE INTO
THE FACILITY, LANDING ON CONCRETE AND POSSIBLY INJURING HIS
FEET/ANKLES. THE INCIDENT WAS CAUGHT ON OUR VIDEOTAPE.


3. (U) GUARDS INSIDE THE FACILITY, WHO WORK FOR USINT,
QUICKLY APPREHENDED PEREZ, CHECKED HIM FOR WEAPONS (HE HAD
NONE),AND HANDCUFFED HIM. THEY THEN CALLED THE REGIONAL
SECURITY OFFICER (RSO),DHS FIELD OFFICE DIRECTOR, DHS
OFFICER, AND REFUGEE COORDINATOR, WHO WENT TO THE SCENE. THE
HANDCUFFS WERE REMOVED, AND DHS FIELD OFFICE DIRECTOR, DHS
OFFICER AND REFCOORD INTERVIEWED PEREZ, WHO HAS A PENDING
REFUGEE APPLICATION. PEREZ STATED HE COULD NOT WAIT ANY
LONGER FOR HIS INTERVIEW. HE CLAIMED THAT NOBODY LIKED HIM,
AND THAT EVERYONE WAS AGAINST HIM. HOWEVER, HE ADMITTED TO
NEVER HAVING BEEN ARRESTED OR CITED, SAID THAT HIS HOUSE HAD
NEVER BEEN SEARCHED, STATED HE HAD NEVER LOST A JOB FOR
POLITICAL REASONS, AND SAID HE HAD NOT BEEN PERSECUTED FOR

RELIGIOUS BELIEFS. WHEN ASKED WHETHER HE COULD CITE ANY
CUBAN GOVERNMENT HARASSMENT OR PERSECUTION, HE RESPONDED THAT
THE GOVERNMENT HAD IMPLANTED LISTENING DEVICES IN HIS TEETH
DURING DENTAL WORK TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO, AND INSERTED A
CAMERA IN HIS BODY DURING AN APPENDECTOMY. AT THAT POINT, WE
ASKED IF HE WAS ON MEDICATION, BUT HE SAID ONLY SLEEPING
PILLS. HE ADMITTED THOUGH, THAT HE HAD BEEN TO A PSYCHIATRIC
INSTITUTION YEARS EARLIER. WHEN WE TOLD HIM WE WOULD CALL
HIS MOTHER AND AUNT TO TALK WITH THEM, HE RESPONDED THAT THEY
AND EVERYONE ELSE WHO KNEW HIM WOULD JUST SAY THAT HE WAS
CRAZY.


4. (U) WHEN WE REACHED PEREZ' AUNT, THE FIRST THING SHE
ASKED WAS "WHAT HAS HE DONE NOW?" PEREZ' MOTHER CAME TO THE
REFUGEE ANNEX LATE IN THE MORNING. SHE PRODUCED A MEDICAL
CERTIFICATE FROM JUNE 2002 DIAGNOSING HER SON WITH PARANOID
SCHIZOPHRENIA AND PRESCRIBING TWO MEDICATIONS FOR HIM:
RISPERDAL AND SENOGUIM (SP?) - SECOND DRUG NOT LEGIBLE. THE
MOTHER INDICATED THAT HE HAD NOT TAKEN EITHER OF THESE
MEDICATIONS FOR THE PAST YEAR BECAUSE THESE DRUGS WERE BOTH
EXPENSIVE AND UNAVAILABLE. PRIOR TO THE LAST YEAR SHE HAD
BEEN ABLE TO PROCURE THE MEDICINE FOR HIM FROM SOURCES IN THE
UNITED STATES AND ENGLAND.


5. (U) THE MOTHER ALSO NOTED THAT PEREZ COULDN'T POSSIBLY GO
TO THE UNITED STATES. THERE WAS NO RELATIVE THERE TO TAKE
CARE OF HIM, SHE EXPLAINED, ADDING THAT SHE WAS NOT
INTERESTED IN GOING. SHE INDICATED THAT HE LIVES WITH BOTH
HER AND HIS BROTHER HERE IN HAVANA.


6. (U) USINT'S DOCTOR EXAMINED PEREZ' ANKLES, BOTH OF WHICH
HE COMPLAINED WERE SORE DUE TO THE JUMP. THE DOCTOR
RECOMMENDED TO PEREZ' MOTHER THAT SHE TAKE HIM TO THE LOCAL
HOSPITAL FOR X-RAYS TO BE SURE HE HAD NOT BROKEN ANY BONES.
PEREZ WAS ABLE TO WALK, ALBEIT WITH SOME PAIN.


7. (U) DHS OFFICERS EXPLAINED TO PEREZ THAT DHS WOULD STUDY
HIS CASE AND, AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME, HE MIGHT BE CALLED FOR
AN INTERVIEW SHOULD HIS FILE MERIT AN INTERVIEW. HE WAS ALSO
ADVISED THAT IT WOULD BE AT LEAST ANOTHER YEAR BEFORE HE WAS
SCHEDULED FOR AN INTERVIEW, BUT NOT THREE YEARS AS HE HAD
PREVIOUSLY MISUNDERSTOOD. PEREZ WAS ALSO ADVISED THAT HE
NEEDED TO GO HOME TO WAIT TO BE CALLED FOR HIS INTERVIEW, TO
WHICH HE AGREED. THE DHS FIELD OFFICE DIRECTOR EMPHASIZED
THAT JUMPING OVER THE FENCE IN NO WAY PERMITS HIM TO HAVE A
FORMAL INTERVIEW OR MOVE AHEAD OF THE LINE OF THOSE WHO HAD
BEEN WAITING FOR THEIR TURN FOR AN INTERVIEW. PEREZ
INDICATED HE UNDERSTOOD AND APOLOGIZED FOR HAVING JUMPED OVER
THE FENCE. REFCOORD AND DHS FIELD OFFICE DIRECTOR THEN SPOKE
WITH THE SEPSA GUARDS OUTSIDE THE FACILITY, EXPLAINING THAT
PEREZ APPARENTLY HAD A PSYCHIATRIC CONDITION, WHICH MAY HAVE
MOTIVATED HIS DRAMATIC ACTIONS. WE FURTHER NOTED THAT
ILLEGALLY ENTERING A DIPLOMATIC FACILITY CAN, OF COURSE, LAND
THE OFFENDER IN JAIL. WE WANTED TO BE SURE THE CUBAN
AUTHORITIES UNDERSTOOD PEREZ' MENTAL CONDITION BEFORE
DECIDING TO TAKE ANY ACTION AGAINST HIM. THE SEPSA GUARD
INDICATED THEY UNDERSTOOD THE SITUATION AND THERE WOULD BE NO
PROBLEMS. WE THEN ESCORTED PEREZ TO JOIN HIS MOTHER AND A
NEIGHBOR WHO HAD JOINED HER. THE THREE PROCEEDED TO DEPART
FROM THE ANNEX PREMISES IN A TAXI.


8. (C) COMMENT: OUR PRIMARY CONCERN IS THAT THIS INCIDENT
NOT BE REPEATED. THIS INTRUDER WAS NOT ARMED AND DANGEROUS,
BUT COULD HAVE BEEN. WE DO NOT WANT TO GIVE THE IMPRESSION
THAT WALL JUMPING IS A CONVENIENT WAY TO GET AHEAD OF
EVERYONE IN LINE FOR A REFUGEE INTERVIEW, OR THAT WALL
JUMPING WILL FURTHER THE CHANCES OF APPROVAL FOR APPLICANTS.
WE RECENTLY FINISHED INSTALLING RAZOR WIRE ON THE TOP OF THE
CEMENT WALLS WHICH CONSTITUTE ABOUT ONE-HALF OF THE PERIMETER
OF THE REFUGEE ANNEX. THE OTHER HALF HAS A LOW CEMENT
FOOTING (ABOUT 18 INCHES),ON TOP OF WHICH SITS A 12 FOOT
HIGH FENCE THOUGHT TO BE DIFFICULT TO SCALE. THIS REASONABLY
FIT 37 YEAR-OLD MALE CLIMBED UP AND OVER IN SEVEN SECONDS. WE
MUST ASSUME OTHERS CAN DO THE SAME.


9. (C) COMMENT CONTINUED: THE SEPSA GUARDS ARE BOUND TO BE
MORE ALERT AFTER THIS INCIDENT, LIKELY CONFRONTING AND
DRIVING AWAY ANY PASSERBY WHO TRIES TO APPROACH THE FENCE
AFTER HOURS. WE ARE SENDING A DIPLOMATIC NOTE TO THE FOREIGN
MINISTRY ABOUT THIS INCIDENT, REMINDING THEM OF THE
OBLIGATION TO PROTECT OUR FACILITY. MEANWHILE, WE ARE MAKING
NO PUBLIC STATEMENT ABOUT THIS INCIDENT, AND REMIND ANY USG
ENTITY THAT DOES RESPOND TO A QUESTION ABOUT THE INCIDENT
THAT UNDER IMMIGRATION LAW REFUGEE CASES ARE PROTECTED BY
SIGNIFICANT CONFIDENTIALITY AND PRIVACY CONCERNS (I.E. WE DO
NOT CONFIRM OR DENY THAT ANY INDIVIDUAL HAS A CASE OR WHAT
THE STATUS OF THE CASE IS AT ANY POINT IN THE PROCESS).
PARMLY