VZCZCXYZ0010
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHPE #0032/01 0081339
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 081339Z JAN 08
FM AMEMBASSY LIMA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7620
INFO RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 5406
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 7713
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ JAN QUITO 1670
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF STATE AIR WING PATRICK AFB FL
RHEHOND/DIRONDCP WASHDC
RHMFIUU/COGARD INTELCOORDCEN WASHINGTON DC
RULSJGA/COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC//G-CI/G-M/G-OLE//
RUCOWCA/COMLANTAREA COGARD PORTSMOUTH VA
RUWDQAA/COMPACAREA COGARD ALAMEDA CA

UNCLAS LIMA 000032 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR INL/LP 
STATE FOR WHA/PPC 
ONDCP FOR LT COL RONALD GARNER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR KCRM ASEC PREL PE
SUBJECT: NAS MONTHLY REPORT, DECEMBER 2007 
 
REF: A. LIMA 3884 
 
     ¶B. LIMA 3764 
 
--------- 
SUMMARY 
--------- 
¶1. (U) The key developments in December 2007: 
 
** CORAH ended the year with a total of 11,056.20 hectares of 
coca eradicated, surpassing the 10,000-hectare goal. 
 
** DEVIDA approved the 2008 Eradication Plan to start in 
mid-January, now waiting for Interior Minister's signature. 
 
** Police graduated 820 new officers from NAS-supported 
Academies in December. 
 
** Annual amount cocaine HCL seized at Lima airport for 2007 
totals 4,062 kg, doubling the amount from 2006. 
 
** President Garcia makes strongest statement ever in support 
of counternarcotics efforts funded by USG. 
 
** Threat of narco-terrorism in Peru has sparked a public 
debate on how "no-go" zones are a threat to national security. 
 
** New PNP chief named; announces new organized crime unit. 
 
** PNP seizes drug plane in Puno; first such aircraft seizure 
in 10 years. 
 
** NAS Aviation flying hours increased in 2007 by over 26 
percent compared to 2006. 
 
** Major aviation training and maintenance plan was conducted. 
 
** Three UH-2 armor-plating kits arrived.  The delivery and 
installations of the kits halted because they were not to 
specifications. 
 
** In 2007, NAS added 6 new community anti-drug coalitions in 
Lima and will start ones outside of Lima as funds permit. 
END SUMMARY 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
PERU EXCEEDS ANNUAL GOAL; READY FOR NEXT YEAR 
--------------------------------------------- - 
¶2. (U) Last day of eradication operations was December 7. 
CORAH ended the year with a total of 11,056 hectares of coca 
eradicated, surpassing the annual goal by more than 1,000 
hectares.  CORAH also eliminated 41,162 square meters of 
seedbeds, which is equivalent to an additional 2,744 hectares 
of coca if planted.  Operations for 2007 began slowly, 
hampered by setbacks such as floods, cocalero strikes, and 
changes in police commanders.  As late as June, reaching our 
annual goal seemed unattainable.  But, proper planning and 
perseverance by CORAH, along with dedicated police and 
aviation support, enabled NAS to exceed the yearly goal. 
With all support elements in place, a significant eradication 
rate was achieved, breaking records for the amount of coca 
eradicated per day and per month. 
 
¶3. (U) On December 21, DEVIDA approved the 2008 Eradication 
Plan and has forwarded it to the Minister of Interior for his 
signature.  CORAH is planning to start in mid-January or when 
the Plan is signed.  It was agreed that eradication would 
start in Santa Lucia (north of Tocache) then move to the 
Aguaytia area.  In May, work will shift to the Aucayacu area. 
 
 
------------------- 
POLICE GRADUATIONS 
------------------- 
¶4. (U) On December 15, President Garcia presided over the 
graduation ceremony of 288 new police from the NAS-PNP basic 
training academy at Ayacucho, and the inauguration of the 
NAS-funded police academy and base, a complex of 26 buildings 
overlooking the city.  Ambassador McKinley, Minister of 
Interior Alva Castro, NAS Director Keogh, embassy officials, 
and PNP generals also were present.  The 10-million USD 
investment, under the bilateral counter-narcotics agreement, 
represents the most significant construction in the city 
since Ayacucho was overrun by Shining Path terrorists in the 
1980s.  The new academy has the capacity to graduate 300 
police per year, who are committed to serving 3 years in 
DIRANDRO east of the Andes.  On December 17, NAS Director, 
Minister of Interior Alva Castro and PNP Generals attended 
the graduation of 294 police from the Mazamari Academy.  On 
December 20, a further 238 CN police graduated from the 
Academy at Santa Lucia, making a total of 820 graduates for 
the month of December.  Adding this number to the 727 police 
who completed training in March 2007, a total of 1547 new CN 
police graduated from the NAS-PNP academies in 2007.  See Ref 
¶A. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
PRESIDENT GARCIA MAKES HARD HITTING SPEECH ON DRUGS 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
¶5. (U) Peruvian President Alan Garcia's speech in Ayacucho on 
December 15 was the strongest statement in years by a 
Peruvian president on the narcotics industry.  Garcia put all 
the actors in the drug chain -- from the coca growers to the 
traffickers of the finished product and those they reach in 
the government and business -- as equally part of the drug 
industry.  Garcia laid out four critical steps in the 
counter-narcotics battle: eradication, alternative 
development, training of specialized police, and combating 
money laundering.  Garcia also broke new ground by publicly 
praising CORAH workers as heroes eradicating under the threat 
of bombs and ambushes.  Garcia also underscored the 
pernicious effect of narco-trafficking on the implementation 
of the US-Peru free trade agreement, urging the people of 
Ayacucho to benefit from the recently signed pact by 
rejecting illegal activities (Ref A). 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
NARCO-TERRORISM CAUSING NATIONAL DEBATE IN PERU 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
¶6. (SBU) The growing threat of narco-terrorism in Peru has 
sparked a public debate featuring demands that the Government 
take decisive action to tackle "liberated" zones.  The debate 
shows Peruvians increasingly recognize that no-go zones 
represent a threat to national security.  Government security 
forces have received additinal budget support to address 
this challenge, but probably not enough; in addition, their 
strategic and tactical capabilities may be unequal to the 
task.  Media comments and statements by government officials 
have raised questions about the nature of the security threat 
in the emergency zones.  One noted analyst has made the case 
that the new narco-threat is much greater than Sendero 
Luminoso (Shining Path - SL) alone ever was.  Some believe 
the attacks suggest that SL may be resurging.  Others say the 
problem is muddier, and consists of ex-army combatants, 
ronderos (civil defense units), narco-cocaleros, and assorted 
others all participating in drug mafia violence.  Of those 
involved in Peru's narco-terrorist network, many of them are 
young, fueled by poverty and lured into illegal activities by 
the promise of escape (Ref B). 
 
----------------------- 
NEW POLICE CHIEF NAMED 
----------------------- 
¶7. (U) Interior Minister Alva Castro named General Octavio 
Salazar as the new head of the Peruvian National Police 
December 31, replacing General David Rodriguez.  Salazar 
began his tenure with a stirring speech on fighting crime, 
narcotics, and terrorism.  He unveiled a new organized crime 
unit that combines the anti-terrorism (DIRCOTE) and anti-drug 
(DIRANDRO) bureaus, and announced the relocation of the 
Huallaga Front from Tingo Maria to Aucayacu to confront 
narco-terrorism.  (Note: Most of the recent SL attacks in the 
Huallaga Valley have taken place in the Aucayacu area, 
including retaliatory killings in December of 7 civilians. 
SL also killed 2 police officers in Ayacucho over the 
Christmas period.  End Note.) 
------------------ 
DRUG PLANE SEIZED 
------------------ 
¶8. (SBU) On December 14, PNP officers, operating on DEA 
information, seized a Cessna 206 aircraft registered in 
Paraguay and detained its Colombian pilot in Sandia, Puno. 
The plane was probably flying from Paraguay en route to 
Bolivia.  It is assumed that the aircraft was stolen, because 
all identification marks had been filed off.  The plane was 
picking up drugs, but the loading was interrupted by CN 
police lying in wait at the clandestine airstrip.  The plane 
was damaged by gunfire that prevented take-off; the pilot was 
uninjured.  Police seized almost 8 kg of cocaine HCl as well 
as 1,950 Euros, some USD and Paraguayan currency, arms, and 
radios.  This was the first seizure of a drug plane in the 
past 10 years. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
DIRANDRO NOW EQUIPPED TO LEARN ENGLISH 
--------------------------------------- 
¶9. (U) DIRANDRO's first computer-assisted English language 
laboratory was inaugurated in December by NAS Director Keogh 
and PNP Director General Rodriguez.  Funded by NAS, the 
laboratory has 20 computers and is located in DIRANDRO's Drug 
Prevention Unit in Lima 
 
¶10. (U) DIRANDRO statistics for 2007 show that 650 
cocaine-base laboratories and 16 cocaine HCl laboratories 
were destroyed and 7,912 kg of cocaine base, 5,734 kg of 
cocaine HCl, and 858,243 kg of chemical precursors were 
seized. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
FOCUS ON AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE AND TRAINING THIS MONTH 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
¶11. (U) NAS Aviation flying hours increased in 2007 by over 
26 percent compared to 2006.  To avoid exceeding the 
contractual limit on flight hours, NAS allocated monthly 
flight hours to each project manager to ensure missions and 
flights were closely scrutinized.  NAS ultimately exceeded 
the flight-limit by less than one percent (or 12 hours over 
the 7200 limit).  The high flight tempo demanded more 
maintenance, which affected the readiness of our helicopter 
fleet.  As a result, the contractor, DynCorp International, 
sent special maintenance teams from the U.S. to the Main 
Operating Base (MOB) at Pucallpa to assist the PNP 
maintenance teams with the increased demand for unscheduled 
maintenance. 
 
¶12. (U) In December, the flight tempo slowed when eradication 
operations ended on December 7.  NAS took advantage of the 
slowdown to conduct a major aviation training and maintenance 
plan at the MOB.  During this period, NAS aviation qualified 
5 new pilots, 8 new crew chiefs, and 1 maintenance test 
pilot.  NAS also conducted some mandatory training and 
maintenance in preparation for resuming major operations in 
mid-January 2008. 
 
¶13. (U) In November, the first three armor-plating kits (for 
the pilot, copilot, and crew-chief/gunner) for the UH-2s 
arrived and were to be installed.  Another eight kits were in 
transit.  When it was discovered that the kits were not to 
specifications, the delivery and installation of the kits 
were stopped.  INL/A is negotiating with the manufacturer on 
complying with the contract. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
ANNUAL SEIZURES HIT NEW RECORD AT LIMA AIRPORT 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
¶14. (U) The total amount cocaine HCL seized at the Jorge 
Chavez International Airport (JCIA) in Lima for 2007 was 
4,062 kg, doubling the amount from 2006.  In 2005, Peru 
seized 1072 kg; in 2006, when NAS-sponsored training took 
effect, 2010 kg were seized. 
 
¶15. (U) During December, 139 kg of cocaine were seized at 
JCIA using non-intrusive instruments and x-ray equipment.  In 
addition, 45 internal carriers (mules), each carrying an 
average of 900 grams of cocaine HCl, were detained and 
arrested.  Five international alerts were issued: the number 
of arrests and amount of drugs seized are pending.  The body 
x-ray scanner, funded by NAS, detected 31 of the 45 mules. 
Since this scanner was deployed at JCIA on August 10, 2,745 
individuals were scanned, identifying 190 internal carriers. 
A total of 421 internal carriers were arrested in 2007. 
 
¶16. (U) As part of SUNAT's efforts to halt the smuggling of 
large amounts of cash, it seized 99,880 USD that a Colombian 
failed to declare prior to boarding an Avianca flight on 
December 17.  The detainee was carrying the money hidden on 
his person and in his luggage.  The money in the luggage was 
wrapped in carbon paper (to avoid detection by x-ray 
equipment such as the body scanner).  SUNAT plans to deploy 
another body scanner by February 2008 in the JCIA 
International Arrivals area to check passengers. 
 
¶17. (SBU) On December 4, 25,660 kg of cocaine were seized and 
5 arrests were made in the district of Fernando Lores in 
Loreto.  The cocaine was found in a bundle in a small river 
boat--similar to a canoe--traveling along the Amazon River. 
In addition, on December 13, this same DEA-led, NAS-supported 
Regional Port Intelligence Group (RPIG) also seized 96 kg of 
cocaine from a small boat on the Amazon River near the city 
of Iquitos.  Since September 2007, nearly 500 kg of cocaine 
base/HCL have been seized in this area through 
intelligence-driven operations with nominal US funding 
support, instead of the blind patrolling done between 
1997-2001. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
DEMAND REDUCTION EXPANDS NUMBER OF ANTI-DRUG COALITIONS 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
¶18. (U) In 2007, NAS expanded the number of community 
anti-drug coalitions (CAC) in Lima from 6 to 12.  Three of 
the new CACs were started by NGOs already running a CAC, and 
three new NGOs were selected to start a CAC.  Having a number 
of NGOs developing CACs fosters a sharing of lessons learned, 
best practices, and new ideas that would be absent if only 
one NGO were working with this demand-reduction model.  The 
institutional competitiveness of the NGOs has led to the 
development of innovative community practices to achieve 
sustainability of the CACs.  Each CAC is being given five 
years of diminishing funding to achieve sustainability.  NAS 
will start new CACs outside of Lima as funding permits. 
NEALON