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FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9034
INFO RUCNMER/MERCOSUR COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION IMMEDIATE 6486
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA IMMEDIATE 6340
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C O N F I D E N T I A L BUENOS AIRES 001685 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
WHA FOR CHRIS MCMULLEN, DEBORAH MCCARTHY, CAROLINE CROFT, 
BRUCE FRIEDMAN AND KENDALL MOSS 
S/CT FOR VIRGINIA PALMER AND ARNOLD SIERRA 
FBI FOR COUNTERRORISM DIVISIONI AND OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL 
OPERATIONS 
IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT FOR ICE/OIA H 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/23/2017 
TAGS: PTER EFIN PREL PGOV SNAR KTFN PA BR AR
SUBJECT: NEXT STEPS ON THREE PLUS ONE MECHANISM AND TBA 
COORDINATION 
 
REF: A. ASUNCION 688 
 
     ¶B. BUENOS AIRES 1370 
 
Classified By: Ambassador E. Anthony Wayne for reasons 
1.4(b)(c)and(d) 
 
¶1. (U) This is an action request, please see paragraph 5. 
 
¶2. (C) In Ref B, Embassies Buenos Aires, Asuncion and 
Brasilia recommended expanding the Three Plus One mechanism 
(3 1) to encompass other illicit activities and sources of 
illicit financial flows, while continuing to give preeminence 
to CT concerns.  By encompassing trafficking in drugs, arms, 
people and contraband as well as terrorist support in our 
policy dialogue, we believe we would be dealing with the key 
threats emanating from the Tri-Border Area (TBA) and, if 
presented well, we think we may be more likely to win more 
enthusiastic participation from our partners who feel daily 
threats from these illicit flows.  In addition, the sources 
of much of the money coming from this region to support 
terrorism likely comes from these other kinds of illicit 
activities, and any steps we could encourage or support to 
stop terrorist supporters from earning money illicitly would 
assist our counter-terror efforts.  We realize we may have 
some convincing to do to expand the dialogue, but we think it 
is worth the effort. 
 
¶3. (C) In Ref. A, Embassy Asuncion reported on its August 8-9 
conference on Tri-Border Area (TBA) terrorist finance and 
money laundering.  Conference participants confirmed the TBA 
is a hotbed of illicit activities including trafficking in 
drugs, arms, and counterfeit goods, as well as document fraud 
and money laundering.  They also noted the gaps in our 
knowledge regarding the amount of money transmitted, its 
destination, and the identity of the facilitators. 
Participants identified several initiatives the USG should 
take to improve its efforts in the TBA: form a virtual 
working group on TBA issues that periodically reconvenes in 
person; improve inter-agency communication and resource 
sharing; expand the 3 1 dialogue to encourage Brazil, 
Argentina and Paraguay to share data on a range of customs, 
financial, narcotics and weapons crimes; continue to tighten 
borders; monitor Venezuelan and Iranian activities in the 
TBA; and, ensure that officials at post focus on evidence 
prosecutors need to make criminal cases. 
 
¶4. (C) Host country contacts in Argentina, at least, have 
responded positively to Embassy's unofficial discussions with 
them on the notion of expanding 3 1's purview.  Expanding the 
dialogue will require input from and coordination among a 
greater number of Washington offices, but the added benefit 
of including in the dialogue those USG offices that combat 
trafficking in drugs, persons, arms and other criminal 
activity would outweigh those costs. 
 
¶5. (C) Action Requests:  Embassy requests that WHA begin 
working at the earliest convenience with relevant Department 
offices (e.g. S/CT, INL, G/TIP) and other Washington agencies 
(e.g. DEA, Treasury, Homeland Security and FBI) to get a 
consensus on expanding the 3 1 agenda.  In addition, Embassy 
asks that Department and other agencies discuss the 
modalities of a possible expanded 3 1 meeting.  Paraguay is 
the host of the next 3 1 meeting, tentatively scheduled for 
late in the year.  At a minimum, Washington should consider 
asking the Paraguayan hosts to include in the Paraguay 
meeting a discussion of expanding the dialogue and, perhaps, 
the proposal's formal adoption by the parties.  The 
modalities of such an expanded dialogue may have to wait for 
additional discussions and meetings.  Depending on the 
results of Washington consultations, Embassy further requests 
Department guidance on formally approaching host governments 
regarding the possible expansion of the 3 1 mechanism and 
planning for the next meeting in Paraguay. 
 
 
WAYNE