CAPE VERDE SUBMISSION FOR 2010 INCR REPORT, PART I

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 PRAIA 000211 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR INLJOHN LYLE AND AF/W E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SNAR PREL EFIN ASEC CV SUBJECT: CAPE VERDE SUBMISSION FOR 2010 INCR REPORT, PART I REF: STATE 097230 ¶1. Per reftel, Embassy Praia submits the following draft text for the 2010 INCSR report in addition to the e-mail version we have sent in for review. Please direct questions or comments to Dana Brown (browndml@state.gov) Cape Verde ¶I. Summary Because of its location in the Atlantic Ocean, Cape Verde is an important transit country for narcotics entering Europe from South America and Africa. Narcotics enter Cape Verde by commercial aircraft and maritime vessels, including yachts. Cape Verde works with international donors like the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Governments of Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, Brazil, and the United States to fight international narcotics trafficking and reduce local demand. Cape Verde is a party to the 1988 United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. II. Status of Country Cape Verde's strategic location on the maritime and aerial routes between mainland Africa, Europe, and South America makes it an attractive transit point for drug shipments from the Caribbean, Venezuela, Colombia, and Brazil en route to Europe. The country's numerous beaches, extensive territorial waters, and an inadequately-monitored economic zone allow drugs to pass through undetected. Cocaine is the most trafficked narcotic, mainly coming from Brazil, but crack cocaine, "cocktail" (a mixture of cannabis and crack, called "cochada" in Cape Verde), and locally-cultivated marijuana are also trafficked. There are also reports that Ecstasy is trafficked through Cape Verde from Europe. Cape Verdean authorities are concerned about drug abuse within the prison system and drug-related crime. III. Country Actions against Drugs in 2009 Policy Initiatives. Cape Verdean law makes "consumption [of drugs], drug trafficking, and revenues resulting from drug trafficking" criminal offenses, punishable by one to twenty years' imprisonment. In May 2009, the Cape Verdean Parliament approved a new law designed to combat money laundering allowing for greater control of offshore banks, and granting authorities more power to seize assets of drug traffickers. In September 2009, the United States African Command (AFRICOM) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury sponsored, with the assistance of the U.S. Embassy and the Cape Verdean Judicial Police, a course in the capital city of Praia on financial investigation techniques and processing of evidence. Representatives from the Cape Verdean Central Bank, Financial Information Unit (FIU),Customs, and Naval Criminal Investigation Service (NCIS) attended the course, as well as members of the Judicial Police from Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau. Law Enforcement Efforts. Cape Verde has two separate law enforcement agencies that fight narcotics trafficking: the Judicial Police and the National Police. The Judicial Police is a unit of the Ministry of Justice with overall responsibility for coordinating criminal investigations. The National Police reports to the Ministry of Interior. To date in 2009, the Judicial Police has detained 141 persons, primarily Cape Verdean, Nigerian, and Portuguese nationals, for drug trafficking, and seized 21 kilograms of PRAIA 00000211 002 OF 004 cocaine and 640 kilograms of cannabis. Specific cases included: * July 10, 2009: two suspects arrested in Sco Vicente for transporting the equivalent of 5, 200 hits of cocaine; * October 7, 2009: two suspects arrested in Sco Vicente for transporting 164.7 grams of cocaine; * October 9, 2009: four suspects arrested in Sco Vicente for transporting 63.8 grams of cocaine; * October 13, 2009: three suspects arrested in Sal for transporting 7,035 kilograms of cocaine in the city of Praia; and * October 27, 2009: the Sal Criminal Court sentenced five individuals to sentences ranging from 12 to 24 years for trafficking 70 kilograms of cocaine. As part of the same proceeding, the court sentenced a Cape Verdean border patrol officer to twenty-five years in prison for involvement in a drug trafficking ring. Corruption. The government of Cape Verde does not encourage or facilitate the illicit production or distribution of drugs, or the laundering of proceeds from illegal drug transactions. Nonetheless, in June 2008, three Judicial Police officials were arrested for diverting over 135 kilograms of cocaine seized in a drug investigation to the black market. The Judicial Police conducted a full investigation, and the three suspects are currently awaiting trial. Agreements and Treaties. Cape Verde is a party to the 1988 United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, the 1961 United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, as amended by the 1972 Protocol, and the 1971 United Nations Convention on Psychotropic Substances. Cape Verde is also a party to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its protocols against trafficking in persons and migrant smuggling. Also, on April 23, 2008, Cape Verde ratified the UN Convention against Corruption. Cultivation/Production. Cape Verde is not a significant producer of narcotics. Small quantities of marijuana, however, are sometimes cultivated domestically. In September 2009, for example, the Judicial Police seized 120 kilograms of marijuana cultivated on Santiago Island. Drug Flow/Transit. PRAIA 00000211 003 OF 004 Cape Verde is located in the mid-Atlantic off the coast of West Africa, and therefore occupies a strategic location on the maritime and aerial routes between mainland Africa, Europe, and South America. As such, it is an attractive transit point for cocaine, marijuana, and other illegal drugs trafficked to Europe from the Caribbean, Colombia, and Brazil. In addition, narcotics from Europe are sometimes smuggled through Cape Verde. The U.S. has not been identified as a significant direct destination for drugs transiting through Cape Verde. Domestic Programs/Demand Reduction. The National Commission for Combating Drugs (CNLCD),organized under the Ministry of Justice, is responsible for coordinating Cape Verde's counter-narcotics programs. The CNLCD gathers statistics, disseminates information on narcotics issues, and manages government treatment programs for narcotics addictions. It also runs a hotline and manages several public awareness campaigns. In addition, Cape Verde has a drug rehabilitation shelter located on Santiago Island. Moreover, an administrative body, CAVE INTERCRIN (Cape Verde Integrated Crime and Narcotics Programme),supports the self-sustainable and healthy development of Cape Verde by preventing the spread of illicit drugs, crime, and other anti-social behaviors. CAVE INTERCRIN aims to improve Cape Verde's law enforcement and border patrol capabilities through upgrades to the government's communication, intelligence, and communication capabilities, as well as through computer-based training programs. IV. U.S. Policy Initiatives and Programs Bilateral Cooperation. In 2009, the United States and Cape Verde cooperated on many fronts to combat drug trafficking. One of the largest cooperative efforts, led by AFRICOM and coordinated by the U.S. Embassy, is the Counternarcotics Maritime Security and Interagency Fusion Center (CMIC),an institution to be operated by Cape Verdean military and police to coordinate maritime security and law enforcement. Moreover, this year the Cape Verdean and U.S. Governments continued their groundbreaking joint law enforcement activities. In June 2008, the U.S. Coast Guard deployed a cutter with a Cape Verdean law enforcement detachment (LEDET) aboard to conduct law enforcement operations in Cape Verdean territorial waters-representing the first multilateral combined maritime law enforcement operation ever conducted in Africa. It also marked the first time a non-U.S. LEDET worked with the U.S. Coast Guard on a U.S. military vessel. In 2009, another LEDET operation, involving four Cape Verdean Coast Guard officers and two members of the Judicial Police on board a U.S. vessel, took place. In addition, the U.S. Government is negotiating an agreement to allow future LEDETs with the Cape Verde Ministry of Defense. According to Cape Verde's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the agreement will be approved in the near future. The Africa Partnership Station initiative, funded by AFRICOM, also continued work with the Cape Verdean military this year, paying for officers to attend training classes. For example, three officials-one each from the Cape Verdean Coast Guard, Judicial Police, and Ministry of Justice, participated in a training program in Dakar, Senegal. Lastly, as described above, AFRICOM and the U.S. Department of Treasury sponsored a course on financial investigation techniques and evidence processing, which was attended by Cape Verdean law enforcement officials. The Road Ahead. Under current timetables, in 2010 the CMIC will develop into a platform for government-wide information-sharing, and further PRAIA 00000211 004 OF 004 progress will be made on the LEDET program. The United States and Cape Verde are also discussing the implementation of a Status of Forces Agreement, to further improve cooperation on counter-narcotics issues. MYLES