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DE RUEHGT #0236/01 0352249
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 042247Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0953
INFO WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEFHLC/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
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RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO
RUEKJCS/JCS NMCC WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHINGTON DC
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RUETIAA/DODSPECONE WASHINGTON DC
RUWDQAA/USCGC WASHINGTON

UNCLAS GUATEMALA 000236 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
PLEASE PASS TO USAID/LAC/CAM KSEIFERT 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV SNAR KCRM KJUS EAID GT
SUBJECT: Embassy Guatemala: January 2010 Merida Report 
 
REF: A) 09 STATE 114752; B) GUATEMALA 27; C) GUATEMALA 7 
D) 09 GUATEMALA 1424 
 
¶1.      (U) In response to ref A, Post submits the information 
below detailing Embassy Guatemala's 
 
Merida activities for January 2010. 
 
Issues for Washington 
 
¶2.      (U) Post conducted a review of Merida funding to date and 
found that some FY 2008 funds 
 
are still stalled in the procurement process in Washington and no 
FY 2009 funding has been received at post.  Post requests the 
Department's assistance in expediting the release of these funds. 
A more detailed review of post's Merida funding, along with post's 
FY 2010 Merida funding request, will be provided septel. 
 
Internal Developments 
 
¶3.      (U) Guatemala scored a major law enforcement victory with 
the capture of former 
 
President Alfonso Portillo on January 26.  The capture was made 
possible through the use of NAS helicopters which enabled 
representatives of the UN-mandated International Commission Against 
Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG), the Attorney General's Office (MP), 
DEA, National Civil Police (PNC), and the military to quickly reach 
Puerto Santo Tomas in eastern Guatemala to arrest Portillo and 
ensure that he was brought before a judge in the capital within the 
six-hour constitutional limit (ref B).  (Note: Portillo was a 
flight risk and driving to Puerto Santo Tomas would have taken at 
least five hours through terrain controlled by DTOs.) 
 
¶4.      (U) CICIG presented the conclusions of its investigation 
into the May 2009 murder of 
 
prominent attorney Rodrigo Rosenberg on January 12.  CICIG 
concluded that Rosenberg arranged for his own murder.  The 
resolution of this case was important to show the Guatemalan public 
that a high-profile murder investigation can be successfully 
resolved in country (ref C).  Following the conclusion of the 
Rosenberg investigation, President Alvaro Colom moved forward with 
his legislative agenda and announced a structured dialogue with the 
private sector to discuss fiscal issues, social development, 
governance (security), and economic recovery.  The Embassy will 
continue to encourage and closely monitor this dialogue. 
 
Implementation Activities 
 
¶5.      (SBU) On January 22, the Charge, joined by President Colom, 
inaugurated the Maritime 
 
Intelligence Center (MIC) near Puerto Quetzal on the Pacific Coast, 
which will bring together PNC, tax authorities (SAT), Joint 
Interagency Task Force-South representatives, and DEA personnel to 
identify suspicious cargo and maritime traffic along the Pacific 
Coast.  The MIC facility was fully established using GOG funds; the 
USG will now provide training and equipment.  (Comment:  The MIC 
furthers the Mission's objective of increasing maritime 
intelligence in order to disrupt incoming drug-laden ships and 
seize contraband.  End Comment.) 
 
¶6.       (U) All remaining English Access Program students (700 in 
all) began their studies in 
 
January.  Half of the USD 800,000 cost of this program is being 
funded through the Merida Initiative. 
 
¶7.      (SBU) NAS helicopters flew two missions for DEA in 
mid-January targeting U.S. fugitives. 
 
The two Guatemalan military helicopters assigned to the mission 
could not participate due to mechanical problems. 
 
¶8.      (U) CBP officers provided training to SAT and PNC on the 
use of CT-30 kits at three different 
 
land borders in January.  The kit is composed of a fiber optics 
scope, measuring density device, depth finder and other tools 
necessary to locate compartments and contraband.  This training 
took place at three different land borders (Agua Caliente, Florido 
and Ermita) between Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala. 
 
¶9.      (U) Post's Law Enforcement Working Group met on January 26. 
Post held its Merida 
 
Initiative meetings on January 5 and 19. 
 
Significant USG-Supported Host Nation Seizures 
 
¶10.  (SBU) USG law enforcement participation and/or intelligence 
played an important part in 
 
seizures in January 2010: 
 
-          January 4 - Guatemala City International Airport: 
Seizure of 600,000 tablets of pseudoephedrine. 
 
-          January 27 - A suspicious aircraft flew into Guatemala, 
first arriving in eastern Izabal Department and then quickly 
diverting to northern Peten Department, where it eventually landed. 
With the assistance of Joint Task Force-Bravo helicopters and the 
Guatemalan Anti-Drug and Terrorism Aerial Intervention Task Force 
(FIAAT), 352 kilos of cocaine were seized.  The alleged 
narcotraffickers later returned to the aircraft and burned it. 
 
-          January 28 - Guatemala City International Airport: 
Seizure of 27 kilos of pseudoephedrine in loose capsule form. 
 
-          January 30 - Guatemala City:  Seizure of USD 420,000 and 
arrest of one individual.  Guatemala's anti-money laundering task 
force (UNILAT) was heavily involved in this investigation and 
believes it may be related to the December case in which police 
arrested one individual and seized USD 1,000,120 (Ref D). 
 
The Month Ahead 
 
¶11.  (U) Below are post's planned activities for February 2010: 
 
-          The contract for implementation of USAID's primary 
Merida activities - The Community Action Fund, Youth at Risk crime 
prevention and Community Based Policing - should be granted in 
February 2010, with implementation activities to begin in March 
¶2010. 
 
-          NAS plans to train police officers for the Police 
Athletic League at the Police Academy. 
MCFARLAND