Paul I Jukic  03/20/2008 03:14:51 PM  From  DB/Inbox:  Search Results

Cable 
Text:                                                                      
                                                                           
      
UNCLAS        NASSAU 00191

SIPDIS
CXNASSAU:
    ACTION: NAS
    INFO:   OPBAT AMB DCM POL FBI DEA CGLO

DISSEMINATION: NAS
CHARGE: PROG

APPROVED: CDA: DBHARDT
DRAFTED: NAS: DFORAN
CLEARED: DEA: KSTANFILL; CGLO: MFREDIE

VZCZCBHI053
RR RUEHC RUEHWN RUEHKG RUEHPU RUEHSP RUEHDG
RUEHLO RUEHUB RUCOWCV RUCOWCV RUEABND RUEABND RHEHOND RHMFISS
RUEABND RUEAWJA RUCNFB RHMFIUU RHMFIUU RHMFISS RHEHNSC RHEFDIA
RUEKJCS RUWDQAC RUMIAAA RUEAORD RUZFAAJ RHEHAAA
DE RUEHBH #0191/01 0632218
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 032218Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY NASSAU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5266
INFO RUEHWN/AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN 5665
RUEHKG/AMEMBASSY KINGSTON 8587
RUEHPU/AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE 3599
RUEHSP/AMEMBASSY PORT OF SPAIN 4755
RUEHDG/AMEMBASSY SANTO DOMINGO 2894
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0171
RUEHUB/USINT HAVANA 0554
RUCOWCV/CCGDSEVEN MIAMI FL//CC/OLE//
RUCOWCV/COGARD AIRSTA CLEARWATER FL
RUEABND/DEA DISTRICT OFFICE FT LAUDERDALE
RUEABND/DEA DIVISION OFFICE MIAMI FL
RHEHOND/DIRONDCP WASHINGTON DC//PASS TO USCG//
RHMFISS/DIRJIATF SOUTH
RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHDC
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RUCNFB/FBI MIAMI FIELD DIVISION MIAMI FL
RHMFIUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/HQ USNORTHCOM
RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUWDQAC/US INTERDICTION COORD WASHINGTON DC
RUMIAAA/USCINCSO MIAMI FL
RUEAORD/USCS AIRBRANCH MIAMI FL
RUZFAAJ/USNORTHCOM J23 PETERSON AFB CO
RHEHAAA/WHITEHOUSE WASHDC 0100

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 06 NASSAU 000191 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
INL/LP FOR KEVIN BROWN 
WHA/CAR FOR JOSEPH TILGHMAN 
DHS/OIA PASS TO CARIBBEAN ATTACHE OFFICE, MIAMI 
 
E.O. 12958 
TAGS: SNAR PGOV PREL BF
SUBJECT: U.S.-BAHAMAS COUNTER-DRUG TASK FORCE REVIEWS TRAFFICKING 
TRENDS AND COUNTER-DRUG EFFORTS 
 
------- 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1. (SBU) The Ambassador and Deputy Prime Minister co-chaired the 
semi-annual Joint Counternarcotics/Illegal Migration Task Force 
Meeting (JTF) between the United States, The Bahamas, and the Turks 
and Caicos Islands on December 14, 2007.  The parties discussed 
trafficking trends, reviewed year-to-date progress in fighting drug 
and migrant smuggling, updated on proposals to regulate 
wooden-hulled sailing sloops from Haiti believed to play a large 
role in trafficking through The Bahamas, and discussed integrating 
the Royal Bahamas Defense Force (RBDF) more effectively into 
Operations Bahamas, Turks and Caicos (OPBAT).  The Government of The 
Bahamas committed to strengthening its capability to combat the drug 
trade, outlining its plans to increase air and marine assets for the 
RBDF and open forward operating bases in Great Inagua and Exuma. 
 
¶2. (SBU) The Ambassador challenged all parties to better integrate 
their operations and share intelligence in real time   He urged the 
government of The Bahamas to approve a proposal to place a member of 
the Haitian National Police (HNP) in Great Inagua to assist Bahamian 
authorities in screening Haitian crews as they enter Bahamian 
waters.  He asked the GCOB to enforce existing laws that require 
that vessels from Haiti check-in in Great Inagua upon entering 
Bahamian waters, disgorge their cargo, and, if not Bahamian owned, 
immediately exit Bahamian waters.  The parties agreed to continue 
the working group on combating the threats from Haitian sloops, move 
forward with the U.S./Bahamas/Turks and Caicos Working Group that 
will develop a protocol for sharing of intelligence and coordinating 
assets as discussed during the December 11, 2007 meeting in the 
Turks and Caicos Islands (reftel).  End Summary. 
 
--------------------- 
YEAR-TO-DATE PROGRESS 
--------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) In his opening remarks, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign 
Minister Brent Symonette reiterated the GCOB's commitment to 
eliminating the drug trade.  He noted that the government's budget 
reflected this commitment with increased spending on the Royal 
Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) and Royal Bahamas Defense Force (RBDF), 
including the purchase of eight new marine vessels for the RBDF.  He 
discussed plans to develop forward operating bases in Great Inagua 
and Exuma.  He warned that increased migrant and small arms' 
trafficking was an outgrowth of drug trafficking and asked that 
future JTF meetings include discussions of illicit arms trafficking 
as well as narcotics and migrant trafficking.  He thanked the U.S. 
for its support of the recently concluded CARICOM seminar on small 
arms trafficking.  He acknowledged the December 11, 2007 talks in 
Grand Turk as a sign of increased cooperation in the region and 
pledged continued Bahamian assistance to the Turks and Caicos 
Islands. 
 
¶4. (SBU) The Ambassador stated that the transition of the OPBAT base 
in Georgetown from the U.S. Army to the DEA had gone smoothly and 
that the planned addition of a fixed-wing asset to OPBAT would 
strengthen our ability to detect and monitor drug trafficking 
through The Bahamas.  He challenged the group to be forward looking 
and look to fully integrate the Royal Bahamas Defense Force (RBDF) 
into OPBAT by committing RBDF assets to the OPBAT mission.  He 
encouraged the Bahamian Cabinet to act favorably upon a proposal to 
place an officer from the Haitian National Police (HNP) in Great 
Inagua to assist with the screening of Haitian crews that are 
required by Bahamian law to check-in in there.  He asked the 
Bahamian government to fully enforce these existing laws requiring 
vessels entering The Bahamas from Haiti to stop in Great Inagua and 
disgorge their cargo.  He encouraged the governments of The Bahamas 
and Turks and Caicos Islands to engage with the government of Haiti. 
 He mentioned the possibility of including representatives from the 
governments of Haiti and the Dominican Republic in future meetings. 
 
¶5.  (U) Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Raymond Gibson stated 
that marijuana and cocaine seizures were down in 2007.  He 
attributed this reduction to earlier arrests of major drug dealers. 
He indicated that drug traffickers were involved in smuggling 
firearms and money along with narcotics, noting that in June 2007 
police seized fourteen high powered rifles along with cocaine and 
marijuana.  Gibson reported that 1,023 pounds of cocaine and 4,221 
pounds of marijuana were seized year-to-date versus 1,205 pounds of 
cocaine and 5,668 pounds of marijuana seized in 2006.  (Note: Unlike 
the DEA, the RBPF does not include marijuana plant eradication in 
their statistics.  End Note).  Gibson stated that the RBPF opened 
420 new drug cases in 2007 that resulted in 527 arrests.  This is an 
increase from 2006 when 413 new cases resulted in 487 arrests. 
 
¶6. (U) Acting Royal Bahamas Defense Force (RBDF) Commander Samuel 
Evans reported that during January-November 2007 the RBDF 
interdicted 1,562 illegal Haitian migrants in Bahamian waters, along 
with 71 Cubans.  He noted that July through September was a 
particularly active timeframe for illegal migration.  He observed 
that the number of illegal migrants had dropped following September 
as a result of the excellent interdiction efforts of the U.S. Coast 
Guard and the RBDF.  Embassy's GCLO presented the U.S. Coast Guard's 
year-to-date interdiction numbers, stating that 3,497 illegal 
Haitian migrants were interdicted in the Windward Passage and 
southern Bahamas region and repatriated to Haiti.  He attributed 
this large number to the landing of 120 illegal Haitians at 
Hallandale Beach, Florida in March.  In addition to the Haitian 
migrants interdicted, the GCLO reported that 103 Cubans were 
interdicted in Bahamian waters along with 14 suspected migrant 
smugglers and 255 illegal migrants from countries including Jamaica, 
Brazil, the PRC, Ecuador, Guyana and Bulgaria. 
 
¶7. (U) The OPBAT Operations Center Commander stated that OPBAT flew 
90 search and rescue missions (SAR) in FY 07, assisting more than 
200 people.  He noted that year-to-date for FY 08, OPBAT has already 
flown 20 SAR missions. 
 
-------------------------------------------- 
REGIONAL DRUG AND MIGRANT TRAFFICKING TRENDS 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) ACP Gibson stated that recent drug smuggling trends include 
the use of pleasure crafts, wooden-hulled Haitian sloops and 
intermingling narcotics smuggling with arms smuggling.  He noted 
that recent changes in Bahamian money laundering laws have led 
traffickers to store bulk cash in safe houses.  The DEA Country 
Attach stated that eight to ten percent of U.S.-bound cocaine 
transits The Bahamas.  He noted an increase in the proceeds of drug 
trafficking moving from the U.S. to The Bahamas on its way to its 
ultimate destination in Colombia.  He indicated that an increasing 
percentage of South American cocaine was entering Hispanola, with a 
trend away from Jamaican and Bahamian drug trafficking organizations 
towards Haitian drug trafficking organizations.  He commented that 
TCI was becoming a major transshipment point for narcotics and 
intelligence as revealed by a number of suspicious radar tracks 
between Hispanola and TCI.  Finally, the DEA Country Attached stated 
that the street price for cocaine in The Bahamas has risen to 
$10-12K per kilogram from $8-10K and that the street price for a 
kilo of cocaine in Miami is approximately $20K.  ACP Gibson 
concurred with the DEA report and added that the police are seeing a 
resurgence of Haitian traffickers, both native-born and children of 
Haitian parents living in The Bahamas. 
 
¶9. (SBU) The Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) Deputy Commissioner of 
Police Rodney Adams noted that narcotics trafficking through TCI 
occurred via large coastal freighters, pleasure crafts, 
wooden-hulled Haitian sailing sloops and go-fast boats.  He 
indicated that small quantities of narcotics remained in TCI for 
local consumption, but that most of the narcotics entering TCI was 
destined for The Bahamas and the United States.  He reported that 
illegal drugs had washed ashore; probably as a result of air drops 
and that a number of well-known Bahamian drug traffickers had taken 
up residence in TCI. 
 
¶10. (SBU) Commander Evans reported that trends in illegal migration 
had not changed.  Migrants continue to arrive in unseaworthy 
wooden-hulled sailing sloops from Haiti that also smuggle narcotics 
and weapons.  He noted that enacting legislation to ban 
wooden-hulled commercial sailing sloops from Bahamian waters would 
help deter illegal Haitian migration.  CGLO stated that the U.S. 
Coast Guard sees three specific regional migration threats.  The 
Windward Passage, southern Bahamas and the waters around TCI are 
predominantly threatened by Haitian migrants in wooden-hulled 
sailing sloops departing from northern Haiti.  Cay Sal Bank and the 
western Bahamas face illegal Cuban migration.  Multi-engine go-fast 
boats registered in Florida loiter in the banks or travel directly 
to Cuba to pick up migrants.  They transit through Cay Sal Bank on 
their way to the U.S.  He stated that evidence indicates that 
illegal Cuban migrants are dropped off on the larger cays to await 
pick-up from go-fasts to head for south Florida or the Bahamas. 
Illegal migrants through the northern Bahamas include Haitians, 
Cubans and Brazilians.  They make their way to the northern Bahamas 
Islands by any means available, legal or illegal and are then 
transported to Florida by go-fast boats, pleasure crafts or cabin 
cruisers that blend in with legitimate recreational boaters and 
fishermen. 
 
¶11. (SBU) U.S.C.G. District Seven's Captain Daniels added that drug 
and migrant trafficking organizations which traditionally had 
operated separately are now converging. He stated that both are 
lucrative businesses that contribute to collateral crime.  He 
mentioned that go-fast boats operating from Florida in The Bahamas 
are now as likely to smuggle people as drugs.  As a result, the 
Coast Guard has redeployed its assets to counter the emerging 
threat.  He expressed appreciation for RBDF support in backfilling 
areas when the Coast Guard lacked assets to provide coverage.  He 
opined that success in countering the drug and migrant threat 
required closer integration of operations and improved intelligence 
sharing.  He stated that the RBPF's Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) and 
DEA in Freeport have provided valuable information about suspicious 
vessel departures that helped the Coast Guard interdict smugglers. 
He noted that the more information that is shared, the better job 
law enforcement will do. 
 
¶12. (SBU) Bahamian Director of Immigration, Vernon Burrows indicated 
that most illegal migrants in The Bahamas are Haitian and Cuban.  He 
stated that through November 2007, the GCOB repatriated 6,476 
illegal migrants, including 5,647 Haitians.  He mentioned that The 
Bahamas had difficulty repatriating Cubans despite an MOU requiring 
that Cuba accept its illegal migrants back.  He noted that The 
Bahamas new e-passport system will lead to a new border control 
management system that will be operational in Nassau and Freeport by 
January 2008 and in the rest of The Bahamas by February 2008.  He 
stated that, by the end of March 2008, all Bahamian travel documents 
would be converted and would include embedded chips with digital 
photos and fingerprints.   Burrows asked about restarting the Joint 
Anti-Smuggling Unit (JASU).  The parties agreed to discuss 
restarting JASU outside of the JTF. 
 
¶13. (SBU) The Ambassador noted that increased intelligence from 
Haiti was a priority as the bulk of narcotics and migrant 
trafficking emanated from Haiti.  He stated that there is a 
significant intelligence gap, noting that we don't know what we 
don't know.  TCI Police Commissioner Edward Hall agreed that getting 
credible information from Haiti was difficult.  He noted that the 
GTCI had tried putting an informant into Haiti.  This worked for a 
short period of time, but was difficult to sustain given conditions 
in Haiti. 
 
----------- 
OTHER ITEMS 
----------- 
 
¶14. (SBU) Assistant Comptroller of Customs William Poitier delivered 
the Haitian Sloops Working Group report, following up a tasking from 
the June JTF meeting.  He stated that existing Bahamian law requires 
vessels entering Bahamian waters originating from Haiti to stop in 
Great Inagua and disgorge any cargo.  Non-Bahamian-owned vessels are 
then required to leave Bahamian waters, while Bahamian owned vessels 
may proceed further into Bahamian waters.  He noted that this law 
had not generally been enforced and that the working group has 
proposed amending existing laws to require all vessels meet certain 
health and safety standards.  The Office of Legal Affairs is in the 
process of drafting this legislation.  The practical effects of 
these standards would be to ban wooden-hulled Haitian sloops, since 
none of these vessels meet even rudimentary health and safety 
equipment requirements.  A discussion about the distinction between 
Bahamian and non-Bahamian owned vessels ensued, with Director of 
Public Prosecutions, Bernard Turner, stating emphatically that the 
burden of proof in determining the country of ownership for these 
vessels rested with the person claiming Bahamian ownership.  The 
Narcotics Affairs Officer (NAS) noted that the Bahamian Port 
Authority refuses to register wooden-hulled commercial vessels, 
making it difficult for someone to prove such a vessel was Bahamian 
owned.  The parties agreed that the Working Group would continue 
meeting to discuss enforcement of existing laws and to ensure that 
draft health and safety legislation is presented to the Cabinet. 
They also agreed that the biggest impediment to enforcement was the 
lack of maritime assets in the area. 
 
¶15. (SBU) The Ambassador asked about the status of the proposal to 
house an English-speaking member of the HNP at Great Inagua to 
assist Bahamian officials with interviewing Haitian crew members. 
The Under Secretary in the Ministry of National Security (MNS), 
Peter Deveaux-Isaacs, advised that this proposal requires Cabinet 
approval.  He noted that the proposal is under active consideration 
by the Cabinet and that he expected to have a decision early in 
¶2008.  TCI Police Commissioner Hall stated that the TCI police 
employ a number of Creole speaking officers in TCI and they have 
proven helpful in developing intelligence about Haitian involvement 
with narcotics and migrant smuggling. 
¶16. (SBU) The CBP Area Port Director reported on the status of 
security upgrades at the Lynden Pindling International Airport.  He 
noted that serious concerns with security remain, citing problems 
with unauthorized airport personnel accessing secure areas.  He 
stated that security improvements were planned in the next two to 
three months that would alleviate this problem.  He also indicated 
that there is a problem with employees in the domestic terminal 
accessing the U.S.-bound terminal, including cases where bags and 
merchandise have been placed on U.S.-bound flights without proper 
documentation.  Bahamian officials pledged to continue working with 
CBP to resolve these security concerns. 
 
¶17. (SBU) During a discussion about further integrating the RBDF 
into OPBAT, RBDF Commander Evans noted that the RBDF planned to 
procure two new vessels for Nassau Harbor, two new twenty-seven foot 
vessels would be delivered within a few weeks and placed in Great 
Inagua, a forty and a forty-eight foot vessel are being built for 
delivery to the RBDF, and the RBDF has begun the process for 
procuring two eighty foot patrol crafts.  He noted that several of 
the RBDF's larger vessels needed replacement.  The CGLO commented 
that the USCG stood ready to assist with resources and 
recommendations concerning the best asset mix for the RBDF's various 
missions.  He noted the importance of increasing resources in 
Freeport to counter the increased drug and migrant trafficking 
originating there.  USCG District Seven indicated that the USCG 
planned to increase the number of port calls in Nassau. 
 
¶18. (SBU) Commander Evans stated that the RBDF had increased its 
manpower and patrols in Great Inagua.  MNS Under Secretary 
Deveaux-Isaacs committed the GCOB to expanding the facilities in 
Great Inagua.  This expansion will include expanding the harbor to 
accommodate larger vessels.  The Naval Liaison Officer (NLO) offered 
to seek assistance from SOUTHCOM once the GCOB completes its plans 
for Great Inagua. 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶19. (SBU) The December 14 meeting continued the trend of substantive 
JTF meetings dedicated to discussing the latest drug and migrant 
trafficking issues confronting the U.S., The Bahamas, and the Turks 
and Caicos Islands.  The parties agreed to pursue initiatives that 
should increase our ability to interdict traffickers, including 
enforcing existing Bahamian laws requiring freighters arriving from 
ports in Haiti to stop in Great Inagua, strengthening these laws to 
ban wooden-hulled sail freighters from Haiti (as was done in 2007 in 
TCI at the Embassy's suggestion), increasing maritime assets in 
Great Inagua, placing a vetted member of the HNP in Great Inagua to 
assist with interviewing Creole-speaking crew members, sharing 
intelligence on suspected drug and migrant traffickers in real time 
and coordinating the placement of our maritime and air assets. 
While, some of these proposals await approval or resources from the 
Bahamian Cabinet, we will continue to meet with and encourage the 
government to fully implement these proposals. 
 
HARDT