HAITI: MAY 2009 NAS MONTHLY REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT AU PRINCE 000600

SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA/EX AND WHA/CAR
INL FOR KEVIN BROWN, HEATHER WILD AND MEAGAN MCBRIDE
S/CRS
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD
STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAR
INR/IAA
WHA/EX PLEASE PASS USOAS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SNAR PGOV PREL KCRM HA
SUBJECT: HAITI: MAY 2009 NAS MONTHLY REPORT

REF: A) PAP 520 B) KINGSTON 374

PORT AU PR 00000600 001.2 OF 002



1. The following summarizes Post's INL/NAS and
counternarcotics activities in May 2009.


2. Trilateral Conference a Big Success:
On May 5-7, law enforcement, national security policy makers
and prosecutors from Jamaica, Haiti and the Dominican
Republic as well as U.S. officials met in Florida at a
conference on issues related to transnational gangs, guns and
drugs. The meeting was funded and hosted by the NASs in the
DR, Haiti and Jamaica. Over 50 participants, including the
three governments' representatives, NAS staff, U.S. local,
state and federal law enforcement and gang experts met for
three days to explore these issues and how to obtain
technical support for the development of their comprehensive
gang reduction strategies. It was the first time that the
three Caribbean countries senior law enforcement and security
policy makers had come together to explore security issues.
Among other recommendations, each country agreed to conduct a
gang threat assessment, to increase interregional secure
communication capabilities, and to conduct joint task force
and maritime operations. They also agreed to meet again in
September to continue the dialogue, and NAS Port au Prince
offered to host that event (see ref B for a fuller report on
the meeting).


3. Meetings:
Ambassador Sanderson and NAS Director met with the Minister
of Justice (MOJ) on May 27 to discuss his priorities for the
justice sector, including the judicial system, corrections
and the police (ref A). The MOJ listed, among his top
priorities, reform of the court system and criminal code,
elimination of lengthy pretrial detention, additional prison
capacity, an HNP maintenance garage and improvement of rural
police stations to reach minimally acceptable working and
living conditions. Following up on his promise to provide
the needed land for the women's prison and HNP maintenance
garage, NAS staff subsequently joined the MOJ at the proposed
site in Tabarre (in the area of the Embassy) to begin the
planning process. The site is a large tract of land with a
partially completed four-story structure that has been seized
from a drug trafficker and seems more than adequate for these
purposes.

The second coordination meeting of the two donor police
sector groups - the G10 chaired by the NAS Director, and the
OAS ABC group - took place at the US Embassy on May 27. The
Latin American countries continue to move forward on plans to
provide more support to the HNP, a welcome initiative, but
are doing so without sufficient transparency with the other
donors including the U.S. Both groups agreed to continue to
meet and to request a meeting with the MOJ for late June to
continue the dialogue begun in April about the HNP Academy
curriculum and other issues. The NAS Director also
participated in a G10 review of the success of the sectoral
group format, which was estbalished one year ago. The need
to involve all donors, avoid duplication and to have
administrative support available to the chair and the
sectoral groups were all emphasized.


4. Briefings:
On May 12, NAS Director and Sr. Police Advisor represented
the U.S. in a briefing for the visiting UN delegation of the
Military and Police Advisors evaluating the progress made in
MINUSTAH to date. The US emphasized the considerable
progress made by the HNP with the assistance of MINUSTAH and
the donors, particularly the USG, and highlighted some of the
areas, such as the number of police, where progress is still
needed. The discussion also covered the future of MINUSTAH
and the shift in numbers and skills to include more civilian
policing experts that will be needed in the future. NAS
staff also met with the USUN delegate on that team separately
to update him on USG security programs in Haiti and the

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status of our interaction with MINUSTAH forces.

NAS director, along with DEA, briefed Codel Capps about
security and drug trafficking issues, as part of a larger
country team briefing. A DOD team also interviewed both the
NAS Director and NAS Contracting Officer Representative on
the Cite Soleil HSI police projects as part of an analysis of
lessons learned under that important DOD 1207 funds program.


5. Counternarcotics:
On May 13 the HNP Financial Crimes Unit (BAFE) arrested
Fourel Celestin, former Director General of the HNP and
former President of the Haitian Senate, on money laundering
charges upon his deportation to Haiti after completing his
money laundering sentence in the U.S (five years with time
off for good behavior). A Haitian judge subsequently
released him. The Minister of Justice ordered him rearrested
and he subsequently was taken into custody again. BAFE is
also seeking a warrant for Celestin's wife.

The Counternarcotics Unit (BLTS) continued its presence in
Pestel (in the southern claw),seeking to locate and arrest
DEA fugitive Guy Philippe. They augmented this effort with
an HNP team that joined a task force of DEA and other USG
elements to run a series of operations in Bernagousse and
Jean-Bellune, during which Philippe again narrowly escaped
capture by fleeing on foot into the hills.

On May 26 BLTS requested DEA assistance in securing U.S.
prosecution of Pagane Alexandre and support for an asset
forfeiture investigation by the BAFE of Alexandre's
substantial real estate holdings, including a house rented to
the US Embassy. In October 2008 BLTS had arrested Pagane
Alexandre, a former HNP officer with experience working at
the Port au Prince airport and who is accused of running a
smuggling operation recruiting couriers to carry cocaine
aboard American Airlines flights to JFK Airport. He
alledgedly had been working with the complicity of an airline
employee in Miami, who also was arrested at that time.

BLTS and the Joint Center for Coordinated Information (CICC),
the drug intelligence office in the Ministry of Interior, are
also investigating the May 26 crash of a small airplane of
Venezuelan registry in Northern Haiti. The aircraft was
burned after the cocaine was offloaded and transported to the
Dominican Republic.

On May 28 the HNP in Cap Haitien, acting on a DEA/BLTS tip,
arrested two individuals and seized 2.27 kilos of cocaine,
the first such seizure in that area in many months.

A US UNPOL working with the Uruguayan boats partroling the
southern coast has established good linkages with the
Jamaican UNPOLs which is improving criminal intelligence
sharing regarding the drug-gun trade between Haiti and
Jamaica. At the end of May the Jamaicans seized two boats of
Haitian origin with drugs and/or guns on board.


6. NAS Project Updates:
The isolation ward in the Men's Penitentiary was completed
and the sick prisoners have been temporarily transferred
there while renovations of the infirmary are being done. The
NGO Health Through Walls, based in FL, will be sending
donated medical equipment to furnish the new infirmary.
NAS-funded kitchen equipment, including a freezer, cooking
racks and utensils, were delivered to the prison as well.

The HNP Academy construction of three instructors barracks
and accompanying road work is proceeding well. The third
floor modification to the original project is nearing
completion and the official handover ceremony for the
buildings is planned for early August.

TIGHE