LIMA NAS MONTHLY REPORT - JULY

UNCLAS LIMA 001314 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: LIMA NAS MONTHLY REPORT - JULY ¶1. (U) Summary: -- New NAS Director Arrives -- Rumors of major changes in GOP ministries and PNP amount to nothing -- FAP Joins Eradication Efforts -- Deputy Director visits Counter Narcotics Base and FAP Radar site in Puerto Maldonado -- Aviation Safety Day Conducted -- Joint Peruvian/Brazilian Air Bridge Denial Exercise concluded -- Dyncorp International Vice President visits NAS Lima -- Correction to June End of Month Report on Airport seizures -- Ports Program Report -- DEA/NAS supported Chemical Unit seizures -- Eradication for July and looking ahead -- DIRANDRO seizures and coca leaf prices for July -------------- New NAS Director Arrives -------------- ¶2. (U) New NAS Director, Abelardo A. Arias, arrived at post July 29 and has assumed all NAS Director duties. -------------- -------------- Rumors of major changes in GOP ministries and PNP amount to nothing -------------- -------------- ¶3. (U) July rumors of a possible major shake up of key NAS ministerial and PNP contacts proved to be baseless, and NAS-GOP cooperation continues as before. -------------- FAP supports Eradication efforts -------------- ¶4. (U) For the first time in recent memory, eradication operations were supported not only with the usual PNP MI-17, but also with a FAP MI-17. NAS Lima has been pushing for FAP support, which came at a crucial time, so as to counteract the continued lack of PNP MI-17 support for eradication located furthest away from the FOL. This operation was a success not only because the support was provided, but because there was true, unprecedented cooperation between the FAP and the PNP. FAP willingness to engage with NAS and provide support oens up a whole new range of additional assets for eradication. -------------- Deputy Director Visits Counter Narcotics Base and FAP Radar in Puerto Maldonado -------------- ¶5. (U) NAS Deputy Director and several key counter narcotics PNP personnel visited the Puerto Maldonado PNP counter narcotics bases as well as the new site of the FAP radar. The radar, capable of scanning parts of Bolivia and Brazil, was recently moved from Pucallpa to Puerto Maldonado and is supported by DOD/MAAG with communications into JIATF-South. -------------- Aviation Safety Day -------------- ¶6. (U) US and Peruvian aviation safety officers conducted a joint aviation stand down on 15 July to emphasize the importance of ground and air safety and raise awareness of accident prevention. The last accident occurred 7 April in Santa Lucia with the hard landing of a UH-2 by two PNP instructor pilots practicing emergency procedures. -------------- Joint Peruvian/Brazilian Air Bridge Denial Exercise Concluded -------------- ¶7. (U) Peruvian (FAP) and Brazilian (FAB) Air Forces completed a successful five day joint Air Bridge Denial (ABD) exercise in Pucallpa July 21 to 25. The exercise focused on communications, tracking, and information exchange between the FAP and FAB to include the handing off of targets moving cross border. FAP and FAB personnel flew aboard each other's aircraft and exchanged liaison officers. NAS provided facilities support for the FAP aircraft and crew involved in the exercise. -------------- -------------- Dyncorp International Vice President Visits NAS Lima -------------- -------------- ¶9. (U) The current Dyncorp International contract in support of helicopter operations is under review by Air Wing for renewal in November 2008. In light of this, Mike Bozeman, Vice President of Dyncorp responsible for international contracts visited NAS Lima 21 to 25 July to discuss the quality and terms of the new contract. -------------- -------------- Correction to June End of Month Report on Airport Seizures -------------- -------------- ¶10. (U) Due to various reasons and complications, the cocaine seizure amounts at the ports for June were underreported to NAS Lima. Post has since received the correct figures as 224.058 kilos of seized cocaine as opposed to the 100.36 kilos previously reported. -------------- Ports Program Report -------------- ¶11. (U) Peruvian Customs (SUNAT) and the PNP at Jorge Chavez Airport, Customs SERPOST and the port of Callao seized 191.24 kilos of cocaine during the month of July. Of the 543 outbound airport passengers selected for pre-departure inspection with the NAS sponsored body scanner, 17 were found to be internal drug carriers bound for the US or European markets; each carrying approximately 900 grams of cocaine. SUNAT authorities detained an arriving Polish passenger who had only declared 10,520 of the full 79,520 euros and 270 zlotys he carried. In a separate case, SUNAT discovered and detained 36,000 counterfeit US dollars hidden inside books bound for export to the US. Both cases have been turned over to the Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) and the National Directorate for Crime (DIRENCRI) for investigation and eventual prosecution. SUNAT authorities stationed at SERPOST report the seizure of a package bound for CANADA containing two Peruvian diplomatic passports as well as another package in route to Germany which was found to contain 30 false passports from various countries. Details on both of these cases are still pending. -------------- DEA/NAS Supported Chemical Unit Seizures -------------- ¶12. (U) The DEA lead, NAS supported Chemical Unit conducted a ground operation along the Rio Monzon targeting rustic laboratories believed to belong to Tingo Maria drug traffickers. Eleven such laboratories were found, but abandoned, and 330 kilos of muriatic acid (Black Market Value of 1,155 USD) and 874 kilos of kerosene (Black Market Value of 6,555 USD) were uncovered and seized. ¶13. (U) In July, the Chemical Unit working in Tingo Maria seized approximately one metric ton of muriatic acid (Black Market Value of 3,500 USD),a 2007 Mercedes-Benz cargo truck (valued at 80,000 USD) and arrested two individuals in conjunction with the seizures. -------------- Eradication Report and Plans for August -------------- ¶14. (U) In July, CORAH eradicated 979.99 hectares of illegal coca, bringing the year to date total to 6176.18 hectares. Thirteen cocaine base labs were also destroyed by PNP providing security to CORAH workers. Additionally, CORAH returned to Sion for the first time since eradication operations were suspended in the region in 2006. The operation, named Operation Susan by CORAH in honor of the departing NAS Director. Eradicators worked in two groups so as to cover more ground, however, two sectors south of Sion remain unfinished. CORAH will return to these sectors in August. Also during the month of August, CORAH plans to operate in an area known as Bolson de San Martin which is located directly north of Aucayacu, though still part of the San Martin Department. CORAH will continue to work in this area until the new base camp is completed allowing for eradication operations in the Aucayacu Area. -------------- Nationwide DIRANDRO Seizures -------------- ¶15. (U) Nationwide, DIRANDRO reports the destruction of 702 cocaine-base and 13 HCL cocaine laboratories, the seizure of 14 metric tons of various types of illegal drugs, and 28 metric tons of precursor chemicals. In Palmapampa alone, PNP base personnel destroyed 98 rustic laboratories and seized 700 kilograms of 15 various precursor chemicals, the largest amount being Kerosene. -------------- Coca Leaf Prices -------------- ¶16. (U) The price of coca leaf continues to fluctuate. The price of coca leaf per 'arroba' during the month of July was approximately 33 USD in the Huallaga Valley and 21 USD in the VRAE. NOTE: 'Arroba' is a local unit of measurement equal to 2.1 kilos. -------------- NAS Programs Office Continues Reorganization -------------- ¶17. (U) The NAS Programs Office for Demand Reduction, Media and Communications, Money Laundering, and ILEA continues its reorganization and the NAS Programs Officer has completed her orientation. Additionally, the new Media and Communications advisor is expected to begin in August. MCKINLEY