Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09MONTEVIDEO404
2009-07-13 16:35:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Montevideo
Cable title:  

URUGUAY'S 2009 SECOND QUARTER INL REPORT

Tags:  PREL PGOV UY 
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PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHMN #0404 1941635
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 131635Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9204
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

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