VZCZCXYZ0008
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHQT #0484 0611725
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 021725Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY QUITO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6451
INFO RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA PRIORITY 6499
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 2422
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ MAR 0470
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA PRIORITY 1473
RUEHGT/AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA PRIORITY 0812
RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO PRIORITY 1523
RUEHGL/AMCONSUL GUAYAQUIL PRIORITY 1985
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEADRO/HQ ICE DRO WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS QUITO 000484 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
EB/ESC/TFS FOR KATHERINE LEAHY AND LEANNE CANNON 
S/CT FOR PATTY HILL, GALER, AND NOVIS 
TREASURY FOR SGOOCH 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EFIN ETTC KTFN LE PREL EC
SUBJECT: ECUADOR - RESPONSE TO ILLICIT CASH COURIER ACTIVITY 
REQUEST 
 
REF:  STATE 16120 
 
¶1.  (SBU) This a response to State 16120, requesting posts to raise 
the problem of illicit cash courier activity with host government 
officials.  DEA country attache raised the issue of illicit cash 
courier activity with Ecuador's Director of the Antinarcotics 
Directorate (part of the police department) February 13.  The 
Director responded positively to encouragement to intensify efforts 
on this issue, and resolved that airport police will focus more on 
checking inbound flights for cash couriers, and that more training 
will be offered on how to identify bulk cash smuggling in airports. 
 
 
¶2.  (SBU) The GOE is aware of the serious problem of cash couriers, 
and is taking action to interdict and prosecute these cases.  There 
have been a number of recent successes.  In August 2006, USD 290 
thousand in bulk cash was seized at the Guayaquil airport.  In 
October 2006, USD 2.2 million in bulk cash was seized at the Quito 
airport (the courier was identified as part of an organization that 
had used Ecuador as a transit point 23 times previously for cash 
smuggling, for a group operating out of Mexico and Colombia).  In 
January 2007, USD 292 thousand in bulk cash was seized in the 
Guatemala City airport; the couriers were Ecuadorian and the final 
destination of the cash was Ecuador. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The GOE implements a number of training plans related to 
cash courier activity in conjunction with the Embassy's Narcotics 
Affairs section (NAS) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's 
Immigration and Customs Enforcement office (ICE).  ICE is 
considering the possibility of a training program in the Guayaquil 
and Quito airports beginning in April or May that would bring 
Customs and Border Protection as well as Immigration and Customs 
Enforcement agents to Ecuador to provide training on targeting bulk 
cash smuggling organizations. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Although the GOE is making some progress in combating cash 
smuggling, many challenges remain.  Ecuador has enacted a law that 
codifies the requirements of Special Recommendation IX on Cash 
Couriers, but lacks strong enforcement of the law.  Another problem 
is the generally uncontrolled border that exists between Ecuador and 
Colombia. 
 
JEWELL