VZCZCXYZ0027
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #1208/01 1721706
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 211706Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8466
INFO RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 6256
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 1064
RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 1578
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 6121
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 1304
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ JUN LIMA 2071
RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID 1853
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 6526
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1271
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 0941
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 1351
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 0488
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHLP/DEA LA PAZ BL
RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 001208 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
INL/LP:JIM HIDES 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR PGOV PREL KCRM AR
SUBJECT: INTERIOR MINISTER MAKING PUSH ON COUNTERNARCOTICS 
COORDINATION 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary and Comment:  Minister of Interior Anibal 
Fernandez is making a public push to enhance counternarcotics 
cooperation and effectiveness in Argentina, initiating such 
ideas as a sole national registry for collecting CN 
information and analyzing trends, creating a scientific 
advisory committee on counternarcotics and complex crimes, 
and creating a specific training body for security forces in 
techniques for investigating narcotrafficking and organized 
crime.  As part of the initiative to focus increasingly on 
trafficking networks, Fernandez also indicated a policy shift 
away from targeting narcotics users.  On June 8, Fernandez 
convoked the Ambassadors of UK, Spain, France, Germany, 
Italy, the U.S. Charge, Bolivia, Brazil, Venezuela, Uruguay, 
Paraguay, Chile, Colombia, and Ecuador to present what he 
characterized as a new initiative to promote greater 
cooperation and exchange of information on drug related 
issues as well as to promote the signing of new bilateral 
agreements for cooperation on CN issues with countries that 
do not already have such agreements with the GoA.   He 
pointed to the agreements the MoI signed recently with Peru 
and Spain as models of what the GoA is seeking.  Fernandez 
spoke briefly about these agreements as well as Mercosur 
agreements on the same issue. He said that he hoped that 
there could be not just better cooperation and communication 
bilaterally with Argentina but among the many countries that 
for Argentina are producer/transit and consumer countries. 
Fernandez highlighted the excellent and valued cooperation of 
the U.S. Mission and its focus on improving GoA and regional 
coordination in the fight against narcotrafficking.  While 
much of the rollout was clearly for political effect , this 
Mission has been pursuing and advocating for some time most 
of what the Minister is proposing and we see the Minister's 
public highlighting of the CN problem as positive and 
providing momentum for moving forward with Post's CN 
initiatives.  End Summary. 
 
------------------------------- 
The Minister's Initiative 
------------------------------- 
¶2. (U) On June 8, CDA attended a meeting with Interior 
Minister Anibal Fernandez, who convoked the Ambassadors of 
UK, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, US, Bolivia, Brazil, 
Venezuela, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile, Colombia, and Ecuador to 
present what he characterized as a new initiative to promote 
greater cooperation and exchange of information on drug 
related issues as well as to promote the signing of new 
bilateral agreements for cooperation on CN issues with 
countries that do not already have such agreements with the 
GOA.    He pointed to the bilateral CN agreements Argentina 
signed recently with Peru and Spain as models of what the GOA 
is seeking.  Fernandez spoke briefly about these agreements 
as well as Mercosur agreements on the same issue. He said 
that he hoped that there could be not just better cooperation 
and communication bilaterally with Argentina but among the 
many countries that for Argentina are producer/transit and 
consumer countries. 
 
¶3. (U) In a report Fernandez provided the Charge and invited 
Ambassadors, he highlighted the need for much of what is 
already known about the fight against narcotrafficking, i.e. 
the need for close international coordination and an 
international legal framework that effectively targets the 
drug cartels and their money laundering mechanisms.  He also 
noted the limitations of what he described as "repressive" 
policies focused too heavily on the first link in the 
narcotrafficking chain, resulting in courts and jails 
overwhelmed with small-time offenders and consumers. 
Instead, Fernandez, noted that the individual countries and 
 
the international community should focus more attention on 
prevention and provide more assistance and services to 
consumers and efforts to reduce the damages resulting from 
narcotics consumption. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Several times during his presentation, the Minister 
cited the excellent cooperation he has had from the U.S. 
Mission, particularly our DEA office, and how the Embassy has 
been focused on the issue of improving coordination among GoA 
entities, as well as between GoA entities and USG 
institutions like the DEA and FBI.  Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs Under Secretary for Multilateral Affairs, Ambassador 
Raul Ricardes, who was present, said that the MFA would be 
involved in trying to promote this greater collaboration and 
exchange of information and would be getting back to 
embassies with parameters for expanded cooperation, 
bilaterally and multilaterally.  He said that they would then 
look to individual countries to get back to the MFA and MoI 
on ideas on how to expand cooperation.  Each Ambassador made 
brief statements on the level of cooperation already 
existent.  Charge noted our Northern Border Task Force as an 
example of an effort whose main objective is improving the 
exchange of information (including with Bolivian authorities 
across the border from Salta/Jujuy) and coordination among 
different federal (both Argentine and U.S.) and provincial 
agencies. 
 
¶5. (U) As part of his new focus on CN, the Minister has 
announced a shift away from what he described as the "failed 
policies" and short-term focus of going after consumers and 
small time dealers.  The Minister has cited the high costs of 
prosecuting and jailing users and small time dealers; money 
he says that could be used more effectively for instance in 
the treatment of HIV patients, many of whom are drug addicts. 
 Forty-five percent of cases in federal courts, the Minister 
stated, are drug related.  All this, he noted, is taking the 
needed resources away from the more complex investigation of 
the trafficking networks. 
 
----------------------- 
New Legal Tools 
----------------------- 
¶6. (SBU) Fernandez also mentions in his report, without 
endorsing them, that various legal tools such as controlled 
deliveries, undercover agents and plea bargaining are being 
contemplated.  (Note: These are issues various Embassy 
agencies have raised with appropriate GoA and judicial 
officials for years as essential tools in combating 
narcotrafficking and related crimes.  Actually, both 
controlled deliveries and undercover agents are contemplated 
under Argentine law; there is just no history or practice of 
using these tools and therefore a great reluctance by many 
judges and prosecutors to "risk" using these untried methods. 
 Plea bargaining, however, is still not permitted under 
Argentine law. End Note.) 
 
¶7. (U) The Minister has also issued a number of decrees 
recently in an effort to increase interagency coordination 
and standardize investigative and analytical practices.   He 
has announced the creation of a Single Registry for the 
Analysis of NarcoTrafficking (RUAN) that will be responsible 
for the "design, development, implementation and maintenance" 
of a central data base to collect information on all 
narcotics-related complaints, investigations and evidence in 
drug trafficking-related cases.  The existing Internal 
Security Council, which brings together representatives from 
the various security agencies, the Attorney General's office 
and provincial counterparts, will meet once a month to 
 
specifically coordinate CN policy.  A special "Training 
Group" will be formed under the auspices of the Criminal 
Intelligence Office of the MoI, comprised of specialized 
trainers from each of the security agencies to development, 
coordinate and implement the special investigative techniques 
involved in complex crimes related to narcotrafficking.  The 
Minister has also created an "intern program" for provincial 
security personnel with federal agencies in order train 
provincial forces in investigative techniques. 
 
¶8. (SBU)  Comment:  While there was nothing particularly new 
in the Minister's analysis of the current narcotrafficking 
situation or his recommendations for confronting it, his 
public highlighting of the situation is positive and his 
recognition of the need to better coordinate the GoA's CN 
activities facilitates the Embassy's CN efforts.  The 
creation of central databases, the sharing of information 
between GoA security forces and regionally, training in 
specific investigative techniques, and proposed issues such 
as controlled deliveries and the complexities involved in 
developing an undercover capacity are all areas where this 
Mission is already working or is in active discussion with 
GoA counterparts. 
WAYNE