VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #0305/01 0462043
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 152043Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7301
INFO RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 0189
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 5793
RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 5946
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 6183
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ FEB WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000305 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
USDOJ FOR AAG ALICE FISHER AND DAG BRUCE SWARTZ 
 
E.O. 12958:N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER SNAR SCUL AR
 
SUBJECT:  ATTORNEY GENERAL GONZALEZ' FEBRUARY 7 MEETING WITH 
ARGENTINE SECURITY CHIEFS 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  SUMMARY:  On February 7, Attorney General Alberto 
Gonzales and Ambassador Wayne met with the heads of the Argentine 
security forces. The Attorney General asked the group about 
Argentina's experiences with gangs, information sharing, and 
budgeting.  The Argentine security chiefs spoke candidly about the 
efforts to improve interagency information sharing and coordination 
and about the serious challenges being posed by the substantial 
increase of narcotics trafficking.  The Attorney General invited the 
participants to visit the FBI training academy to see federal and 
local law enforcement cooperation and task forces at work.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) On February 7, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and 
Ambassador Wayne, accompanied by emboffs (which included heads of 
U.S. law enforcement entities at post), met with the heads of the 
Argentine security forces.  The Argentine security chiefs in 
attendance were Ministry of Interior Under Secretary for Homeland 
Security Ricardo Colombo, Chief of the Argentine Federal Police 
Nstor Valleca, National Border Patrol (Gendarmarie) Chief Hctor 
Schenone, Airport Security Police Chief Dr. Marcelo Sain, and Coast 
Guard (Naval Prefecture) Chief Carlos Fernndez.  Ambassador Wayne 
welcomed the Attorney General and noted that his visit was a great 
opportunity to highlight the excellent cooperation between our 
countries on counternarcotics and counterterrorism and to discuss 
opportunities for further cooperation. 
 
CRIMINAL ACTIVITY IN ARGENTINA 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  Attorney General Gonzales said that he was most 
interested in what the security force chiefs thought were the 
emerging security threats in Argentina and what the U.S. could do to 
help combat them.  He noted that he had just visited El Salvador, 
where criminal gangs like Mara Salvatrucha pose a major security 
threat.  The Attorney General said that he knows Argentina does not 
currently have a problem with gangs like El Salvador or the United 
States do, and he wanted to know why.  Although Argentina does not 
have a problem with gangs, Schenone explained that criminal activity 
in Argentina has increased since the creation of Mercosur and the 
resulting free movement of people between member states.  He noted 
that this free movement was a major benefit to honest people, 
especially in the tri-border region, but that it has also 
facilitated the movement of criminals between the Mercosur 
countries.  Sain observed that he doubts Argentina has either a 
significant terrorist presence or a problem with terrorism financing 
in the tri-border region. 
 
INFORMATION SHARING WITH U.S. EXCELLENT, AMONG AGENCIES NEEDS 
IMPROVEMENT 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  Attorney General Gonzales asked the group about the 
extent of information sharing on the domestic and international 
levels.  Schenone said that counternarcotics information sharing 
with the U.S. is excellent.  While Schenone said that usually 
interagency sharing is ordered by the judges that run 
investigations, Fernandez pointed out that Argentina does not have 
an equivalent capability to the El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC). 
 Fernandez explained that the agencies represented at the table all 
have access to one another's information, but that Argentina lacks a 
centralized criminal intelligence filing system.  Colombo said that 
a national criminal intelligence network is currently under 
development and should improve information sharing, including among 
the provinces. 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  The Attorney General asked if Argentina lacks the laws to 
allow better information sharing, or if it just lacks the mechanisms 
to do it.  Sain indicated that Argentina's national intelligence law 
does not provide for information sharing.  He noted that the law's 
main purpose was to develop a strategic intelligence capability, but 
so far tactical police intelligence capabilities have been 
neglected.  He also noted that good police intelligence that exposes 
criminal activity is frequently viewed as a barometer for police 
performance, and thus swept under the rug to prevent the inference 
that more crime equals less successful police work.  Sain said this 
leads to inaccurate depictions of criminal activity, such as drug 
trafficking within Argentina.   He added that the problem is 
exacerbated by their leadership always being focused on short-term 
 
emergencies instead of long-term trends.  Sain said that the biggest 
improvement would come from increased investment in training, 
personnel, and technical resources. 
 
THE FIGHT AGAINST NARCOTRAFFICKING AND THE NEED FOR GREATER 
FINANCIAL INVESTIGATIONS 
¶6.  (SBU)   On the issue of budgets, Attorney General Gonzales noted 
that the Department of Justice shares the same budgeting 
frustrations as the security forces in Argentina.  Sain explained 
that, at least in the Airport Security Police, they have tried to 
plan their budget well to maximize their ability to combat rising 
drug trafficking in Argentina.  He said that they have noticed a 
major increase in domestic consumption of the drugs transiting 
Argentina on their way to European markets. 
¶7.  (SBU)  Valleca of the Federal Police noted that there is a 
serious lack of financial investigations, which he believes can help 
combat drug trafficking by going after the money.  Sain said that he 
had experience working on the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) and 
that suspicious activity reports (SARs) were not helping to track 
illicit money.  The Attorney General asked if Sain thought the SARs 
were harmful.  Sain said that the FIUs would be more helpful if they 
could share information and serve as a technical expertise resource 
on financial crimes. 
 
AN INVITE TO WASHINGTON 
¶8.  (SBU)  Attorney General Gonzales thanked the panel for their 
time and for sharing their experiences and opinions.  He closed the 
meeting by inviting the participants to visit the FBI training 
facility in the U.S. to see first-hand task force operation and 
federal and local police cooperation. 
 
¶9.  (U) The Attorney General has not cleared on the language of this 
cable. 
WAYNE