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 PORT AU PR 00000600 002.2 OF 002 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