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Viewing cable 07BRASILIA2244, NAS BRAZIL ACTIVITY REPORT, NOVEMBER 2007

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
07BRASILIA2244 2007-12-10 13:06 2011-07-11 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Brasilia
VZCZCXRO7761
RR RUEHRG
DE RUEHBR #2244/01 3441306
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 101306Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY BRASILIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0604
INFO RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 6438
RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 4402
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 5157
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 3891
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ 5795
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 7128
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 2358
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 0031
RUEHRG/AMCONSUL RECIFE 7469
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 5540
RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 1290
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHEHOND/DIR ONDCP WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRASILIA 002244 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR INL, WHA/BSC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR EAID KCRM PREL BR
SUBJECT: NAS BRAZIL ACTIVITY REPORT, NOVEMBER 2007 
 
Sensitive but unclassified -- please protect accordingly. 
 
1.  (SBU) SUMMARY: Thanks to ongoing NAS support, the Brazilian 
Federal Police (DPF), with operational assistance from DEA Brazil, 
culminated operation "Fenix" an investigation that made significant 
progress toward dismantling a major drug trafficking organization 
run by Luis Fernando da Costa, a notorious and violent criminal who 
controls the most dangerous areas of Rio de Janeiro.  The DPF served 
34 search warrants in four Brazilian states, seized financial 
documents, drugs, cash and other assets, and arrested eleven people 
-- including da Costa's wife -- on charges of money laundering and 
trafficking in illicit narcotics and arms.  To date, our support has 
assisted DPF agents to seize assets estimated to be worth US$ 7.5 
million, and arrest 29 suspects for drug trafficking.  On the demand 
reduction front, NAS attended a general assembly for "Amor Exigente" 
-- an international behavior modification and drug demand reduction 
program modeled after "Tough Love" in the United States.  Amor 
Exigente is looking for continued INL financial and technical 
support as it embarks on an ambitious expansion project in Northern 
Brazil.  END SUMMARY. 
 
------------------------------------------- 
DISMANTLING THE BEIRA MAR DRUG ORGANIZATION 
------------------------------------------- 
 
2.  (SBU) On November 22, 2007, the Brazilian Federal Police (DPF) 
Special Investigation Unit (SIU) based in Rio de Janeiro culminated 
a year and a half investigation, dubbed "Operation Fenix", of one of 
the major drug trafficking organizations in Brazil headed by Luis 
Fernando da Costa, alias Fernandinho Beira-Mar, a notorious and 
violent criminal who controls the most dangerous areas of Rio de 
Janeiro.  Da Costa, who previously was indicted in the United States 
for violation of U.S. Federal drug laws, has been in a Brazilian 
prison since 2000 on drug and homicide charges, but has continued to 
control and manage his criminal organization through visitors such 
as his wife and his attorney.  Nearly 300 Federal Police agents 
served 34 search warrants in four Brazilian states, seized financial 
documents, drugs, cash and other assets, and arrested eleven people 
-- including da Costa's wife -- on charges of money laundering and 
trafficking in illicit narcotics and arms.  Brazilian authorities 
have provided arrests warrants for eight other suspects currently in 
Paraguay and also requested Paraguayan authorities to seize a farm 
with livestock estimated to be worth US$ 2.5 million. 
 
3.  (SBU) The investigation revealed that that Da Costa's 
organization was operating in Bolivia and Paraguay, smuggling arms, 
cocaine, and marijuana into Brazil.  Da Costa's wife, Jacqueline 
Alcantara de Morais, passed as controller and supervisor of ordering 
drugs, negotiating with suppliers in various neighboring countries, 
opening numerous bank accounts in Brazil, and incorporating many 
"shell" companies used for money laundering.  She also conducted 
negotiations with contacts in Colombia and Venezuela. 
 
4.  (SBU) Since February 2006, thanks in major part to ongoing NAS 
and DEA support, Federal Police agents have been able to seize 
assets -- 750 kilograms of cocaine, 3.3 tons of marijuana, four (4) 
tons of ammunition, 20 vehicles, and one aircraft -- estimated to be 
worth US$ 7.5 million, and arrest 29 suspects for drug trafficking. 
 
-------------------------------------- 
DEMAND REDUCTION: TOUGH LOVE IN BRAZIL 
-------------------------------------- 
 
5.  (U) NAS Director and the Program Assistant for demand reduction 
attended a general assembly on November 30 for "Amor Exigente" held 
at their headquarters, in Campinas, state of Sao Paulo. 
Approximately one hundred people attended, representing virtually 
every state in Brazil, as well as several international participants 
from Argentina and Uruguay.  (Note: Amor Exigente, or AE, as it is 
known locally, is the Brazilian version of the "Tough Love" behavior 
modification and drug demand reduction program that exists in the 
United States.  End note.)  Amor Exigente seeks to establish its 
presence in nine states in Northern Brazil, where the program is 
nearly non-existent, by May 2010 through a campaign it has dubbed 
"Project Amazonas." 
 
BRASILIA 00002244  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
6.  (U) INL provided funding for several representatives from the 
Community Anti-drug Coalition of America (CADCA), including the 
Director for International Programs, to participate in this 
train-the-trainer Amor Exigente assembly.  INL is currently working 
with CADCA to implement community coalitions in countries in South 
and Central America, and the CADCA representatives provided a 
well-received briefing on best practices in forming and developing 
community coalitions.  Amor Exigente is hoping to build on 
partnerships with NAS, INL, and others to strengthen their drug 
prevention network. 
 
---------------------------------- 
STATISTICS ON SEIZURES AND ARRESTS 
---------------------------------- 
 
7.  (U) The following information on drug seizures and arrests, 
provided by the Brazilian Federal Police, represents activity from 
January 1 - December 7, 2007, and is in kilograms, unless otherwise 
noted. 
 
  Current 2007 totals 
 
Marijuana        168,674 
Cocaine           15,200 
Crack                560 
Cocaine base       1,240 
Heroin                10 
Hashish               16 
Ecstasy (units)  157,523 
Arrests (total)    2,021 
 
CHICOLA