NAS MONTHLY REPORT FOR MARCH 2009

UNCLAS BOGOTA 001283 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPT FOR INL/LP AND INL/RM DEPT FOR WHA/AND E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SNAR SENV KCRM PTER CO SUBJECT: NAS MONTHLY REPORT FOR MARCH 2009 -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Aerial eradicators sprayed 10,920 total hectares in March; this number brought the calendar year total to 23,200 hectares of coca sprayed. Eradication aircraft were involved in three hostile fire incidents, resulting in four impacts for a total for the year of seven hostile fire incidents and eight impacts. Total manual coca eradication in March was 4,487 hectares. Due to budget cuts, the 2009 manual eradication goal is 70,000 hectares, 30,000 hectares less than in 2008. Landmine and hostile fire incidents killed two manual eradication security personnel and one eradicator, and injured dozens; ten people have died during this year's manual eradication operations. ARAVI's NAS-supported fleet flew 1,660 mission hours in March. Various U.S.-supported entities made large seizures, captured Foreign Terrorist Organization personnel, and destroyed their assets. Vice-President Santos launched two commercials linking drug consumption with support for narcoterrorism. END SUMMARY. -------------- AERIAL ERADICATION PROGRAM -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Aerial eradicators sprayed 10,920 total hectares in March; very poor weather continued to affect spraying, which is being done at only two bases. The team based in Barrancabermeja sprayed 3,667 hectares and the team in Tumaco sprayed 7,253 hectares. This number brought the calendar year total to 23,200 hectares of coca sprayed. ¶3. (SBU) Eradication aircraft were involved in three hostile fire incidents in March resulting in four impacts. This added up to a total for the year of seven hostile fire incidents and eight impacts. There have been no deaths or injuries. In Barrancabermeja, Counterdrug (CD) Brigade units supported with Colombian Army (COLAR) Aviation assets continued to work on offsetting the historically high number of hostile fire impacts in this area. Due to unseasonably poor weather the, aerial eradication is behind in reaching the 2009 100,000 hectare spray goal. Aerial eradication efforts have been flexible, surging where possible to take full advantage of periods of good weather. -------------- MANUAL ERADICATION PROGRAM -------------- ¶4. (SBU) The GOC's 2009 manual eradication campaign kicked off in early March, several weeks late due to administrative problems that slowed down the contracting of civilian eradicators. Due to budget cuts, the 2009 manual eradication goal is 70,000 hectares (down from 100,000 hectares in 2008). Total coca eradication by the GME program for the month of March was 3,005 hectares. Colombian security forces eradicated another 1,482 hectares bringing the GOC year to date total to 4,487 hectares of coca. Manual eradication operations are ongoing in six departments with the majority of GMEs in the traditional coca growing regions of Putumayo, Antioquia, Meta, and Narino. In March, landmine and hostile fire incidents killed two security personnel and one eradicator and injured dozens. A brazen attack by the FARC against a manual eradication camp using mortars and cylinder bombs resulted in the death of one security guard and 10 injuries. In addition, on March 3, a Huey II helicopter providing support to police units filling in for manual eradication crashed, killing four crew members. Ten people (eight security personnel and two civilians) have died during this year's manual eradication operations. -------------- COLOMBIA NATIONAL POLICE AVIATION -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Colombian National Police (CNP) Aviations Wing (ARAVI in Spanish) NAS-supported fleet flew 1,660 mission hours in March. The seven UH-60 Black Hawks closed out the month with 203 flight hours and an Operational Readiness (OR) rate of 78 percent. Mechanics from the manufacturer repaired a battle-damaged UH-60 that will be reassembled imminently. ¶6. (SBU) The Bell 212 fleet flew 170 mission hours with an OR rate of 52 percent. Two Bell 212s have yet to be inducted to the Service Life Extension Program/Rewire. The Huey II OR rate was 71 percent while flying 860 hours. Two Huey II aircraft, or six percent of the fleet, are currently undergoing depot maintenance for structural repairs. On March 3, PNC 0716 Huey II crashed in the Putumayo Department, with four Colombian fatalities and a complete loss of the aircraft; a bilateral accident investigation is underway. ¶7. (SBU) The DC-3 fleet flew 278 hours in March, with an OR rate of 59 percent; one DC-3 is undergoing a 2,000-hour inspection. The last C-26 Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance Aerial Platform (ISRAP) PNC 0224 should be delivered in April 2009. The C-208 Caravan has been in the United States for installation of a mapping camera and will be returned to Colombia in April. -------------- INTERDICTION -------------- ¶8. (SBU) The CNP seized 17.5 metric tons of cocaine hydrochloride (HCl) and cocaine base, 10.8 metric tons of marijuana, and 92 kilograms (kgs) of heroin. The CNP also destroyed 10 cocaine HCl labs, 120 coca base labs, and captured 185.1 metric tons of precursor chemicals. ¶9. (SBU) Highlights for March included the seizure of 52 kgs of heroin on March 1 by the Tulua Jungla Company. The heroin was hidden in a mountaintop cache site near Narino. On March 5, the Tulua Junglas destroyed an HCl lab containing 5.6 metric tons of cocaine in the Department of Narino. On March 7, the DIRAN Chemical Control Group seized 4.6 tons of precursor chemicals being transported in a truck near Barranquilla. On March 7, the Bogota Jungla Airmobile Company destroyed a cocaine HCl laboratory containing 43 kgs of cocaine in Antioquia. On March 9, the Tulua Jungla Company destroyed an ELN-supervised HCl lab (ELN supervised) containing 1.6 metric tons of cocaine in Narino. On March 10, the Bogota Junglas seized 10 mortar tubes (FARC 21 Front),hidden in urban Ibague, Tolima. On March 12, the Santa Marta Jungla company captured 500 kgs of marijuana outside of Barranquilla. On March 18, the DIRAN Cali Intelligence section captured 1.17 metric tons of marijuana hidden in a warehouse in Cali's industrial zone. On March 18, DIRAN captured Julio Cesar Montoya in Antioquia, requested for extradition by the state of Florida for narcotrafficking. On March 21, the DIRAN Santa Marta Intelligence Section passed information to the Colombian Coast Guard, resulting in the capture of 220 kgs of cocaine and six kgs of heroin hidden in a boat in Bahia Portete, Guajira. On March 27, the Bogota Jungla Company destroyed an HCl lab containing 1.9 metric tons of cocaine in Antioquia. On March 31, the Tulua Jungla Airmobile Company captured 49 kgs of heroin hidden in a mountaintop cache in Narino. The Jungla Airmobile companies have been providing 12-man reconnaissance and advisory elements to each of the six Manual Eradication sites managed by DIRAN. ¶10. (SBU) Several DIRAN courses are underway at the Antinarcotics Police Training Center in Pijaos, Tolima to include the 23-week Combat Medic Course (40 students),the eight-week Explosives and Demolitions Course (45 students),and the 18-week Jungla International Course (106 students). The Jungla International Course includes 57 Colombian students and 49 foreign students from 12 Latin American countries (Haiti, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Belize, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, Peru, Argentina, and Brazil). The US Army 7th Special Forces Group's course "Pequenas Unidades" graduated 40 students on March 7. This course focused on close quarters combat and reconnaissance. The eight-week land navigation-focused "Explorer Course" graduated 40 students on March 13. Two Junglas attended Ambassador Brownfield's dinner honoring wounded in action at the Residence on March 5. ¶11. (SBU) The CD Brigade 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Battalions continued to support aerial eradication and conducted interdiction and combat operations with operational bases in Vichada, Tumaco, Narino, and Barrancabermeja. The battalions conducted interdiction and combat operations against the FARC's "Unidad Mixta" ("Mixed Unity") member Raul Eduardo Mahecha, Daniel Aldana Mobil Column, the 60th Front, ELN's "Frente Guerra" ("Front War") Edgar Amicar Grimaldo, and the BACRIMs "Grupo Uno" ("Group One") Magdalena Medio. CD Brigade officers conducted operations in Bolivar, Vichada, Narino, and in Antioquia. During March, the CD Brigade secured a total of 10,917 hectares for aerial eradication operations. The battalions located and destroyed two HCl laboratories, 12 coca paste laboratories, three enemy camps, one enemy cache; and seized 57 kgs of cocaine, 27 kgs of coca paste, 95 gallons of liquid cocaine, 30,014 of liquid precursors, 38,225 of solid precursors, 13,000 kgs of leaf being processed, 23,000 coca seedlings, 22 microwaves, two generators, two dryers and six instruments used to process cocaine. During combat operations, the battalions confiscated two rifles, one revolver, four pistols, eight hand grenades, 910 rounds of ammunition, and one two-meter radio. The battalions also captured one FARC terrorist and seven civilians. -------------- MARITIME INTERDICTION -------------- ¶12. (SBU) Program officers and counterparts conducted a site survey in Bahia Solano (Western Colombia) to evaluate the level of support required to establish permanent billeting for 20 Colombian Coast Guard personnel. In a joint operation, CNP officers, Colombian Marines, and Coast Guard officials seized 768 kgs of marijuana in a warehouse in Buenaventura Coast. During Joint Operation Firewall, the Naval Special Ops Group (GRUIN in its Spanish acronym) seized two Go-Fast boats. The GRUIN worked with the Colombian Coast Guard and coordinated with Panamanian forces that seized 1,200 kgs in just one of the boats. In a separate operation, another GRUIN team captured 45 kgs of cocaine hidden in a vehicle. -------------- BASE SECURITY/ROAD INTERDICTION/NVD PROGRAM -------------- ¶13. (SBU) The one-month Base Defense course in San Jose de Guaviare begun on February 18 continued through the month of March. 48 students from DIRAN from San Jose de Guaviare, carabineros from the Guaviare and Vichada Departments, and eight members of the Joaquin Paris battalion of the Colombian Army were participating. ¶14. (SBU) Joint/Combined Interagency Operation Firewall with participants from the Colombian Navy, Coast Guard, Marines, Air Force, DIRAN Aviation, Junglas and carabineros began in March. The U.S. is represented by members from the DEA, MILGP, NAS and JIATF-S. -------------- COMMUNICATIONS -------------- ¶15. (SBU) CNP Mobile Training Team provided instruction on the THALES radios to the 15th, 16th, 17th, and 18th EMCARs (Mobile Carabineros Squadrons). USSOUTHCOM J6 and USSOUTHCOM DISA (Defense Information Systems Agency) Commander visited the CNP G6 where he learned about joint NAS and CNP initiatives to improve C4I and Command and Control in Colombia. -------------- PORT SECURITY PROGRAM (PSP) -------------- ¶16. (SBU) DIRAN's Ports and Airports Area unit seized 193 kgs of cocaine, three kgs of heroin, eight kgs of marijuana, 200 grams of amphetamines, USD 190,000 in false U.S. currency, USD 28,325 in non-declared dollars, and 6,873 in non-declared Euros at Bogota's airport; 6.8 kgs of cocaine, 19,6 kgs of cocaine, 39.6 kgs of marijuana, and USD 10,000 in fake U.S. currency at Cali's airport; USD 12,141 at the airport of Barranquilla; 2.7 kgs of cocaine at the airport of Cartagena; 11 kgs of cocaine at Pereira's airport; 24.4 kgs of cocaine, 500 grams of heroin and USD 5,200 at the airport of Rio Negro (Medellin); 754 kgs of marijuana and 3.5 metric tons of cocaine at the port of Buenaventura; 551 kgs of cocaine at the Port of Cartagena; and 4.9 kgs of cocaine at San Andres's port. ¶17. (SBU) The DIRAN polygraph unit conducted polygraph exams on 132 members of the DIRAN's Interdiction, Aviation, and Ports and Airports units and supported the Internal Control Group activities in specific cases. 105 of those tested passed the exam, 23 failed, and four were inconclusive. The Chief of the ICE Polygraph Unit trained the DIRAN Polygraph Unit and the Deserter's Program personnel. -------------- -------------- REESTABLISH POLICE PRESENCE PROGRAM (CARABINEROS) -------------- -------------- ¶18. (SBU) Mobile Carabineros Squadrons (EMCARs) have been providing rural security and security for the major lines of communications in 28 of 32 departments. The search block in Antioquia and Cordoba has been trying to combat the increasing number of homicides in Caucasia that are a result of a war for control between the different emerging criminal bands in the area. During manual eradication missions, criminal elements have been attacking squadrons that are removing improvised explosive devices. During March, the EMCARs destroyed 23 cocaine base laboratories, two seedbeds, and engaged in two confrontations with narcotraffickers. ¶19. (SBU) During March, the carabineros captured 162 people (two narcotraffickers, 11 FARC/ELN, 14 members of emerging criminal bands, and 135 common criminals),95 weapons, and 455 rounds of ammunition. They also seized 8,653 gallons of liquid precursors, 9,120 kgs of solid precursors, 123 kgs of cocaine, 166 kgs of cocaine base, and 41 kgs of marijuana. -------------- ENVIRONMENTAL -------------- ¶20. (SBU) In March, the interagency complaints committee visited 34 sites, received 24 new claims of alleged spray damage to legal crops, and closed 83 cases. To date, NAS has paid for 117 complaints, and started payment for 19 cases. Once the 19 recipients receive full payment, crop damage payments for the 136 cases will total approximately USD 542,692. ¶21. (SBU) In February, NAS received 36 complaints from USAID alternative development project recipients in Tumaco, Narino. The technical committee conducted the verification visit in March and determined that four people would be compensated. The remainder of the complaints will be closed because spray operations either did not affect the crops or coca was present. ¶22. (SBU) The 19 verification missions took place from March 24-April 2 in Antioquia, Cordoba, Bolivar, Nario, Cauca, Meta, and Guaviare. Due to the security situation near Putumayo and Caqueta, NAS was unable to complete the mission at that time. This verification covers fields that were sprayed between September 2008 and February 2009. Out of the 67 fields rated, overall coca control appeared high - meaning that spray operations significantly affected or killed coca crops, leading farmers to either replant or prune. Additional information will be provided in a subsequent cable. -------------- INDIVIDUAL DEMOBILIZATION PROGRAM -------------- ¶23. (SBU) The Ministry of Defense's (MOD) demobilization program continues into 2009 with high desertion rates, so far totaling 785 individuals. Demobilization of ELN members has increased significantly compared to previous years due to a special communications strategy directed at that group. More than 60 percent of the demobilized stated their motivations for desertion are abuse by commanders and/or military pressure. Information provided by the demobilized about their former organizations remains one of the best sources of intelligence available to Colombian security forces. Large MOD budget shortfalls have not yet been remedied, impacting plans for communicating demobilization message deep into the countryside, payment for valuable information, prevention of illegal recruitment, and psychological/social assistance. -------------- DRUG DEMAND REDUCTION -------------- ¶24. (SBU) On March 5 in Ibague, Tolima, Vice-President Santos, accompanied by the NAS Director launched two commercials linking drug consumption with support for narcoterrorism. The commercials immediately went on air and their copies will be distributed to various departments and their municipalities. NAS financed the making of these and other two commercials, taking ONDCP copies and "colombianizing" them. BROWNFIELD