VZCZCXYZ0001
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHZP #0066 0181445
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 181445Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY PANAMA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 9632

UNCLAS PANAMA 000066 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR PM/DTCC - BLUE LANTERN COORDINATOR 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETTC KOMC PM
SUBJECT: PANAMA-BLUE LANTERN LEVEL 3 LICENSE 05-050023533 
 
REF: STATE 203073 
 
 
¶1. (U) On December 19, 2006, EconOff met with Jorge Aurelio 
Cohen Jaen (Panamanian I.D. number 8-140-115), President and 
sole shareholder of Panama Shooters & Arms Supplies, S.A. 
(PSAS), at PSAS's offices on Via Espana and Avenida La Loma, 
Centro Commercial San Fernando, Local # 16, Panama City, 
Panama. 
 
¶2. (U) Cohen confirmed to EconOff PSAS's order to purchase 
the Walther handguns and ammunitions in the quantity and at 
the cost set forth in Reftel.  Cohen said this was PSAS's 
first purchase from RSR Group, Inc. of Winter Park, Florida. 
 
¶3. (U) Cohen told EconOff that PSAS is a wholesaler of 
handguns and rifles.  Its regular customers are retail 
gundealers throughout Panama.  PSAS's customers include the 
department store Machetazo.  Most of PSAS's customers are 
located in Panama City.  Cohen said PSAS has one gundealer 
client in Chiriqui.  Cohen said PSAS does very limited retail 
business.  Cohen said PSAS maintains a record with the names 
and addresses of each customer. 
 
¶4. (U) Cohen told EconOff that the handguns and ammunitions 
listed in Reftel will be held in the Panamanian National 
Police's (PNP) ammunitions depot in Cerro Tigre.  Upon 
arrival at Panama's Tocumen International Airport, Cohen 
along with members of the PNP will inspect the weapons and 
the PNP will transport the weapons to the PNP depot. 
According to Cohen, the weapons will be held in the PNP depot 
until they are sold to another gundealer.  At such time, the 
PNP merely moves the weapons from the part of the depot 
allocated to PSAS to another part of the depot allocated to 
the other gundealer. 
 
¶5. (U) PSAS is a Panamanian corporation doing business since 
¶1991.  In 2004, Cohen purchased his partner's (Roberto 
Alfredo Cowes Diaz (Panamanian I.D. number 8-131-373) 50% 
interest in PSAS, thereby becoming the company's sole 
shareholder. Cohen said PSAS has the appropriate Panamanian 
licenses to import and sell the weapons listed in Reftel. 
EconOff reviewed copies of PSAS's incorporation documents, 
its firearms license, and documents related to Cohen's 
purchase of Cowes' interest in PSAS.  Cohen is the only 
corporate officer of PSAS.  His wife and son work at the PSAS 
and his wife is a member of the board. 
 
¶6. (U) Cohen said he was aware on the restrictions on 
re-export of the weapons listed in Reftel. 
 
¶7. (U) An official at the GoP Ministry of Government and 
Justice told EconOff that PSAS had the requisite licenses and 
permits to import and sell firearms, including the weapons 
listed in Reftel, and that the Ministry has no derogatory 
information on the conduct of PSAS. 
Eaton