VZCZCXYZ0005
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHFR #4696/01 3471000
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 131000Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 1457

UNCLAS PARIS 004696 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
INL FOR JOHN LYLE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR FR
SUBJECT: FRANCE CARIBBEAN INSCR FOR 2007-2008 
 
REF: STATE 136780 
 
¶1. (U) Following is post's draft of the France Caribbean 
INSCR for 2007-2008. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Begin Text: 
 
France Caribbean 
 
¶I. Summary 
 
French Guiana, Martinique, Guadeloupe, the French side of 
Saint Martin and St. Barthelemy are all overseas departments 
of France and therefore subject to French law, including all 
international conventions signed by France. With the 
resources of France behind them, the French Caribbean 
departments and French Guiana are meeting the goals and 
objectives of the 1988 UN Drug Convention. The French 
Judiciary Police, Gendarmerie, and Customs Service play a 
major role in narcotics law enforcement in France's overseas 
departments, just as they do in the rest of France. Cocaine 
moves through the French Caribbean and from French Guiana to 
Europe and to a lesser extent, to the United States. 
 
II. Status 
 
French officials have observed an increase in cocaine coming 
directly to France from the French Caribbean, and created the 
Martinique Task Force in response. The USG is concerned that 
some of this increased trafficking could flow in to the 
United States. French Customs also takes an active part in 
the undertakings of the Caribbean Customs Law Enforcement 
Council (C.C.L.E.C), which was established in the early 1970s 
to improve the level of cooperation and exchange of 
information between its members in the Caribbean. C.C.L.E.C. 
has broadened its scope to include training programs, 
technical assistance and other projects. 
 
III. Country Actions Against Drugs 
In 2007, there were some 7,600 French troops in the Caribbean 
area and Guiana who played a major role in countering drug 
trafficking alongside the U.S. Joint Interagency Task Force 
South. During the year important drug seizures included the 
April 20, 2007 operation led by the Gendarmerie and police 
officials in Saint Martin which led to the discovery of 574 
cannabis plants. Four people were arrested and the plants 
were destroyed shortly after by the Gendarmerie. On August 8, 
2007, French customs officials seized close to 900 kg of 
cocaine on board a sailing ship in the south of Martinique 
estimated to be worth approximately 35 million euros (approx. 
$48.2 million). After initially locating the boat, French 
coastal authorities escorted it to port in southern 
Martinique where customs officials found the cocaine 
concealed in sports bags. The two occupants on board the boat 
were arrested. 
 
Agreements and Treaties.  In addition to the agreements and 
treaties discussed in the report on France, USG and 
Government of France (GOF) counternarcotics cooperation in 
the Caribbean is enhanced by a 1997 multilateral Caribbean 
customs mutual assistance agreement that provides for 
information sharing to enforce customs laws and prevent 
smuggling, including those relating to drug trafficking. The 
assignment of a French Navy liaison officer to the U.S. Joint 
Interagency Task Force-South (JIATF-S) at Key West Florida 
has also enhanced law enforcement cooperation in the 
Caribbean. In October 2005, the French Parliament approved 
the "Aruba Accord" (formally the "Accord Concerning the 
Cooperation in Suppressing Illicit Maritime and Aeronautical 
Trafficking in Drugs and Psychotropic Substances in the 
Caribbean Region") and in February 2006, France deposited its 
instrument of ratification in Costa Rica, completing action 
on the French side. In October 2006, France, along with 11 
other nations signed the "Paramaribo Declaration" at a 
conference in Suriname, which is an agreement to establish an 
intelligence sharing network, to coordinate and execute drug 
sting operations among countries and to address money 
laundering 
 
The French Customs and Excise Service operates, together with 
the French National Police and French National Mounted 
Police, the Inter-ministerial Drug Control Training Center 
(CIFAD) in Fort-de-France, Martinique. CIFAD offers training 
in French, Spanish and English to law enforcement officials 
in the Caribbean and Central and South America, covering 
subjects as money laundering, precursor chemicals, mutual 
legal assistance, international legal cooperation, coast 
guard training, customs valuation and drug control in 
airports. CIFAD coordinates its training activities with the 
UNDOC, the Organization of American States/CICAD, and 
individual donor nations. U.S. Customs officials periodically 
 
teach at the CIFAD. French Customs is also co-funding with 
the Organization of American States (OAS), on a regular 
basis, training seminars aimed at Customs and Coast Guard 
Officers from O.A.S. member states. 
 
France supports European Union initiatives to increase 
counternarcotics assistance to the Caribbean. The EU and its 
member-states, the United States and other individual and 
multilateral donors are coordinating their assistance 
programs closely in the region through bilateral and 
multilateral discussions. The GOF participates actively in 
the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) as a 
cooperating and support nation (COSUN). 
 
END OF TEXT 
 
Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm 
 
 
STAPLETON