URUGUAY'S 2009 SECOND QUARTER INL REPORT

UNCLAS MONTEVIDEO 000404 SIPDIS WHA/BSC FOR MARY DASCHBACH E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV UY SUBJECT: URUGUAY'S 2009 SECOND QUARTER INL REPORT ¶1. SUMMARY: This report covers January through June 2009. The Government of Uruguay's National Anti-Drug Secretariat (JND) continued to work diligently on drug enforcement activities during this period, and DEA support increased, opening six investigations during the period. Halfway through 2009, seizures of pasta base have already exceeded 2008 levels, while cocaine and marijuana seizures remain steady. INL continues to support JND's active demand reduction programs and provides operational support to the Special Counternarcotics Police (DGRTID). The DGRTID is an organization that has produced excellent results, despite extremely limited resources. END SUMMARY. PROGRAM DISCUSSION -------------- ¶2. Demand Reduction: The Therapuetic Follow-up Program. This program coordinates the work of students and professors of the Uruguayan National University School of Psychology with the work of the Center for Drug Information and Resources Network- Yellow Door (the in-patient public drug rehabilitiation system) to help addicts re-integrate into society after rehabilitation. It began in June. There are no results available at this time. Training Program for Field Personnel and Inmates in the Penitentiary System. This six-month training program will train two groups of 20 inmates in techniques to treat addicts. Courses include: identifying addiction, the effects of addiction on friends and family, motivation to stop drug use, and action planning to stay off drugs. Those trained will be certified by the National Anti-drug Secretariat. They will assist addicts in prison during their sentences and plans are to transfer those skill so that they continue to work with addicts when they are released from prison. The program began in June. There are no results to report at this time. ¶3. Law Enforcement: The DGRTID has its primary operations in Montevideo, but has satellite offices in the border towns of Rivera and Salto, and a two-man team in the city of Paysandu. DGTRID agents face a steady stream of human couriers bringing varying amounts of pasta base into the country in buses, in cars, and on their bodies over the barely-monitored border with Argentina. Arrests and seizures of couriers occur frequently, but operational leaders remain. Several mules attempting travel to Spain with cocaine have also been arrested. Drug trafficking in and from prisons is also a problem. Recently, there have been two cases related to prisons: the first involved a man being arrested for smuggling pasta base into the prison, and the other two men who face additional trials for trafficking drugs while in prison. In April, a Paraguayan couple was arrested trying to bring 138 kilograms of marijuana into Uruguay in the trunk of a car. On May 20, the DGRTID arrested nine members of a Mexican drug trafficking organization in Montevideo. They seized 62 kilograms of cocaine along with the equivalent in local currency of over USD 20,000, two vehicles and three weapons. MISCELLANEOUS ISSUES -------------- 2009 JND statistics (January - July 7) Cocaine Seized (kg): 93.4 Marijuana Seized (kg): 343.4 Pasta base (kg) 132.2 Total Arrests: Arrested: 798 Tried: 304 Serving sentence: 9 Matthewman