ETA SAFEHOUSE FOUND IN PORTUGAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LISBON 000065 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/04/2020 TAGS: PTER KCRM PREL PGOV PO SUBJECT: ETA SAFEHOUSE FOUND IN PORTUGAL Classified By: Poleconoff Mario Fernandez, reasons 1.4(b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary. The February 5 discovery by the Portuguese National Guard Police of an ETA safe house in a town north of Lisbon where significant amounts of explosives and weapons were found has put Portuguese authorities on alert. The two individuals who rented the house disappeared and are on the run. The find follows the January 9 arrest by Portuguese authorities of two other ETA members who had fled Spain in a stolen police car. The two suspects are currently detained in a high security prison in Lisbon awaiting extradition to Spain. Spanish authorities had speculated that ETA could be trying to move some of its operations to Portugal from France following a crackdown by French authorities, but Portuguese authorities had dismissed the speculation. The discovery makes clear that ETA is indeed seeking to establish alternative bases in Portugal, requiring increased vigilance from, and better coordination among, Portuguese law enforcement authorities, as well as enhanced information sharing with their Spanish counterparts. End Summary. ¶2. (U) On January 9, following what they called "spectacular coordination" between Portuguese and Spanish authorities, the Portuguese National Guard (GNR) arrested two ETA suspects in northern Portugal. The suspects, Garikoilz Garcia Arrieta and Iratxe Yanez Ortiz de Barron, had fled Spain into Portugal in a stolen police car after the vehicle they were driving raised suspicions at a Spanish checkpoint. The vehicle was found to be transporting explosives, weapons, light sensors, various antennas, movement sensors, other electronic material, and assorted false documents. Following pre-established "transborder" procedures, Spanish authorities immediately contacted Portuguese law enforcement, who detained the suspects in northern Portugal an hour later. The suspects, who were considered dangerous, were taken to the Monsanto high-security prison, in Lisbon. After examining materials seized in the January 9 arrests, Spanish authorities concluded that the two were seeking to assemble bombs that would be used for attacks in Spain. Previous investigations concluded that ETA's leadership had given instructions for the creation of a base in Portugal. Since 2002, authorities have learned of several instances that suggest ETA presence in Portugal. ¶3. (U) At a hearing January 11, Arrieta was charged with auto theft and terrorism while Ortiz de Barron was charged with forging documents and supporting ETA's terror campaign. Portuguese judicial authorities quickly determined, however, that the suspects should be tried in Spain, rather than Portugal. The Spanish government announced January 15 that the extradition process was underway, demonstrating what a Spanish official called "nimble" judicial cooperation between the two Iberian states. Following talks with Portuguese Justice Minister Alberto Martins, the Spanish Justice Minister said Portugal was processing a European arrest warrant issued in Spain. Portuguese Interior Minister Rui Pereira and Spanish counterpart Alfredo Rubalcaba met January 21 to discuss extradition to Spain as quickly as possible, noting that the process had to "respect procedures of the Portuguese judicial system." Pereira and Rubalcaba, meeting on the margins of an EU ministerial, reportedly also turned their attention to cross-border cooperation to combat terrorism, and Rubalcaba thanked his counterpart for the support of Portugal's security services. ¶4. (U) At the time of the arrests January 9, Portuguese authorities denied knowledge of ETA hideouts in Portugal. Portuguese Justice Minister Martins said January 10 that Portugal "does not have information or suspicion" regarding ETA bases in Portugal. Spanish authorities, however, had speculated such existed, explaining that ETA could be moving some of its operations to Portugal following a crackdown in France. Rubalcaba said ETA "was preparing the creation of a logistical base in Portugal" and "not one, but several attacks." Julio Pereira, the chief of Portugal's intelligence services, dismissed as "speculation" the possibility of ETA having a base in Portugal. Nonetheless, sources from the Judiciary Police and the secret services admitted that, in view of tighter control in France, ETA could be trying to move operations into Portugal. ¶5. (C) According to press reports, the Portuguese National Guard (GNR) found the safe house in Obidos, about 60 miles north of Lisbon, on February 5, after a landlord complained that tenants had disappeared without paying the rent. Our police contacts assure us, however, that the GNR was alerted by an off-duty policeman who entered the house after seeing the front door wide open. Inside, authorities discovered a huge cache of explosive materials and devices. Contacts close to the investigation told us on February 8 that the GNR also found grocery store receipts for materials, and after LISBON 00000065 002 OF 002 looking at store video of the purchasers, were able to establish their identities, as well as their connection to documents found in the vehicle abandoned by ETA suspects January 9. Of greater concern, the GNR found maps of several locations in Spain, which they speculated could be safe houses or targets. That information has been turned over to Spain. Spanish authorities said that two, Andoni Zengotitabengoa Fernandez and Oier Gomez, were believed to have rented the house and were wanted in Spain. ¶6. (C) The case has raised concerns regarding internal law enforcement coordination, as the GNR reportedly did not coordinate the investigation with their Judicial Police counterparts. While major cities in Portugal have their own local police force, rural towns are served by the national GNR. Investigations must be turned over to the Judicial Police, who serve a function analogous to the FBI and are responsible for all criminal investigations. This contretemps has created tensions between the GNR and the Judicial Police. In the same vein, it turned out that Spanish intelligence service had been investigating possible ETA hideouts inside Portugal without coordinating with Portuguese intelligence, despite a protocol signed by the two countries to work together on terrorist investigations. ¶7. (C) Portuguese authorities now claim to be working in concert with their Spanish counterparts and "following every possible lead" to apprehend the two suspected ETA terrorists. Meanwhile, a representative of Portugal's Terrorism Monitoring Center backtracked on previous assertions and admitted to the press that "it is possible that Portugal is ETA's main logistical base today," while the press is openly speculating that ETA may have chosen Portugal because the country may not be as strict in monitoring explosives as France or Spain. Contacts in the National Police (PSP) until responsible for explosives enforcement tell us that while Portugal has adequate standards for the licensing and storage of explosives, resale of residual amounts is largely unregulated. Thus, construction companies can legally purchase large quantities of explosives for specific project and resell left over amounts. ¶8. (C) Comment: The discovery of the safe house in Portugal establishes several things: first, despite denials by Portuguese authorities, ETA has established a presence in Portugal. Given the 750-mile border that Portugal shares with Spain, it makes sense that ETA would establish such bases. Second, successfully identifying these threats will require enhanced coordination among Portuguese law enforcement agencies. Finally, Spain and Portugal will have to coordinate more closely, particularly in sharing information, something law enforcement agencies -- even when agencies belong to the same government -- sometimes have trouble doing. For more reporting from Embassy Lisbon and information about Portugal, please see our Intelink site: http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/portal:port ugal BALLARD