PANAMA: SENAN SEIZES 2.5 TONS OF COCAINE IN GAME

C O N F I D E N T I A L PANAMA 000119

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/06/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL SNAR PM
SUBJECT: PANAMA: SENAN SEIZES 2.5 TONS OF COCAINE IN GAME
CHANGING OPERATION

REF: PANAMA 00016

Classified By: Ambassador Barbara J. Stephenson for reasons 1.4 (c) and
(d)

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Water Shed Operation
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1. (C) Panama's National Aero-Naval Service (SENAN) police
seized 2.46 tons of cocaine in a mangrove swamp February 1
that had been off-loaded from a go-fast vessel. The vessel
had been hiding in the Lavaina river since January 28 after
being trapped by SENAN vessels acting on information
generated by DEA, and passed to the SENAN by Post TAT. Two
SENAN vessels then stood watch at the mouth of the river for
five days, while U.S. and SENAN aviation units and
approximately 30 SENAN officers working on land searched for
the vessel in some of the most difficult terrain in Panama,
while maintaining constant communication and exchanging
information with TAT. SENAN forces also seized an almost new
go-fast vessel with three outboard engines near the cocaine.
Commissioner Juan Vergara, the effective number two of the
SENAN, went into the field and personally led the operation.


2. (C) On February 2 new information was passed to the
SENAN and Panamanian National Police from DEA through TAT,
indicating the possible location of three suspects. PNP and
SENAN officers were able to locate, confirm, and arrest the
three suspects, all Colombian males.

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Comment
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3. (C) This is a watershed moment for the SENAN. For the
last three years, the Panamanian Maritime Service (SMN),NOW
merged with the National Air Service (SAN) into SENAN, was
"unable and unwilling" to act effectively on the wealth of
information of this kind passed from the TAT. With the
appointment of Director Rigoberto Gordon (reftel),Post has
seen numerous signs that the SENAN is willing to confront the
institutional corruption that had turned it into a completely
ineffective counter-narcotics force. Gordon has limited the
sharing of information to a small core of trusted officers,
of which Vergara is the most important, and has pulled
together the functional forces he has to create an
operational unit within the SENAN. This bust is a stunning
success for Gordon, and an indication of the importance of
leadership and will in creating effective maritime
interdiction forces. Post will continue to partner with the
SENAN, and push for continued institutional strengthening of
the organization. Given Panama's critical position on current
littoral drug trafficking routes, a strong, effective SENAN
could represent a significant change in the balance of
forces.
STEPHENSON