VZCZCXYZ0010
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAC #0232/01 1021454
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 111454Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY ASUNCION
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6791
INFO RUCNMER/MERCOSUR COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS ASUNCION 000232 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR WHA/BSC KBEAMER, INL/LP DGRAHAM 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR AFIN KCRIM PA
SUBJECT: PARAGUAY'S 2008 FIRST QUARTER INL REPORT 
 
 
¶1. SUMMARY: The Government of Paraguay, through the National 
Anti-Drug Secretariat (SENAD), has continued to make advances in its 
drug enforcement activities, including the capture of important drug 
traffickers linked to the Brazilian groups Primer Commando Capital 
(PCC) and Commando Vermelho, important seizures of cocaine and 
marijuana, and the destruction of marijuana crops.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. Program Discussion: 
 
¶A. Demand Reduction 
 
The Prevention Program is continuing to reach hundreds of 
participants each month in the central district and in the 
Department of Amambay.  The program includes formal workshops, 
informal sessions, public seminars, and the dissemination of 
informative materials. 
 
¶B. Narcotics Detection Canine (K-9)Program: 
 
The canine program continues to enhance the overall efforts of 
SENAD's drug interdiction program.  Two new canines were added to 
the program on 3/14, and have already contributed to several 
seizures.  On a sad note, one of SENAD's senior canines, Dax, died 
on 4/2. The incident occurred during a temporary duty assignment in 
the city of Mariscal Estigaribia, 350 miles northwest of Asuncion. 
An autopsy is being performed by a private veterinarian hospital in 
order to determine the cause of Dax's death. 
 
A SENAD K-9 detected 3 kgs of cocaine inside international courier 
boxes bound for Johannesburg, South Africa at the Silvio Pettirossi 
Airport in Asuncion on 3/26.  The cocaine was hidden in 90 boxes 
containing thread bobbins. The packages were mailed by Anne Caroline 
Wender and were addressed to Lance Murphy of the Gallica Corporation 
in South Africa. 
 
SENAD's K-9 unit seized 8 kgs of cocaine at the Silvio Pettirossi 
Airport on 1/26. The drugs were concealed in a suitcase bound to 
Madrid, Spain and registered to Marcelo Aez Melgar, a Bolivian 
national. According to SENAD intelligence, the drugs may have 
traveled overland from Bolivia through Mariscal Estigarribia.  SENAD 
continues with the investigation. 
 
¶C. Law Enforcement Accomplishments: 
 
In one of the most important arrests conducted during this quarter, 
SENAD apprehended Brazilian national Walter Tomaz Inacio (AKA 
Pagodeiro) on 3/26.  He is a notorious drug trafficker and head of 
the First Commando Capital (PCC) stationed in the Parana department, 
350 miles east of Asuncion. During this operation, Juyial Fabiano 
Rossi and Alexis Gomes were also arrested and two vehicles were 
confiscated by SENAD. 
 
In a separate operation, SENAD agents arrested Brazilian national 
Sandro Jose Olivera (AKA Gordao) on 3/13, an important member of 
Commando Vermelho. Gordao is wanted by the Brazilian Federal Police 
for drug trafficking and other crimes. He is also identified as the 
brother-in-law of Brazil's most wanted drug trafficker, Fernadinho 
Beira Mar. Gordao ran a trafficking network that supplied the 
Brazilian interior with marijuana. 
 
On 3/29, SENAD agents seized 1,259 kgs of marijuana ready to be sent 
to Argentina.  The seizure occurred in Cadete Pando district, 
Presidente Hayes Department, 150 miles northwest of Asuncion.  SENAD 
also arrested three men, impounded one pick-up truck, airplane fuel, 
ammunition and six semiautomatic firearms.  SENAD agents worked with 
Paraguay's antinarcotics prosecutors to lay the ground work for this 
successful operation. Paraguayan nationals Fernando Meza, Fernando 
Meza Gill and Buenaventura Campos were also arrested.   The 
investigation to date indicates that the marijuana belongs to a 
retired Army mayor, whose last name is Ferreira, and that the 
marijuana was destined for Argentina on board a light aircraft. 
SENAD has reason to believe that the ranch was used by a drug 
trafficking network that supplied Argentina and Uruguay with 
marijuana. 
 
Within the last quarter, SENAD conducted a series of marijuana 
eradication operations in the departments of Amambay and Canindeyu, 
350 miles northeast of Asuncion. During the operations, SENAD 
destroyed 428 hectares of marijuana crops, confiscated 3,285 kgs. of 
marijuana, 40 kgs. of seeds, and 16 press machines. These operations 
hit drug traffickers hard, with approximately 12 million U.S dollars 
in losses. 
 
SENAD's special agents seized 2,600 small balls of hashish hidden 
inside the dashboard of a Nissan pickup truck found in a house in 
the Hernandarias region (Alto Parana Department) on 3/10. SENAD 
agents arrested Paraguayan nationals Lorenzo Talavera and Nelson 
Augusto Davalos Duarte. 
 
¶D. IPR 
The Specialized Technical Unit (UTE) under the leadership of Col. 
Felix Cruz has made noteworthy advances in the last three months by 
seizing pirated goods and targeting higher-valued assets, such 
hi-tech equipment used for copying CDS and DVDs. UTE's recent 
seizures of pirated goods and equipment exceeds USD 7.5 million in 
commercial value and represents its intense efforts near Ciudad Del 
Este, an area that has been historically known as the "paradise of 
intellectual property violators". 
 
¶E. Training: 
 
INL funded a Basic Drug Enforcement Training Seminar for 50 new 
SENAD Special Agents which began on 2/10. The two-week training 
seminar focused on basic knowledge and skills required for a law 
enforcement officer to identify drug traffickers, initiate, and 
develop an investigation.  This basic course was designed for 
investigators newly assigned to drug units or those with less than 
three years experience.  Topics included drug identification, case 
initiation and development, surveillance, informant handling, 
interviewing and interrogation, basic undercover activities, drug 
arrests, raid planning exercises, and tactical training. 
 
A five week Sensitive Investigative Unit Training (SIU) was funded 
by INL and DEA on 2/08 for 17 SENAD Special Agents. The conceptual 
basis of this program was to identify and train DEA foreign 
counterparts to work in sensitive bilateral investigations. The 
personnel selected to participate in the SIU program underwent 
strict security screening.  The vetting included drug testing, 
background investigations, and polygraphs. Upon successful vetting, 
the IU personnel traveled to the DEA training Academy in Quantico, 
Virginia. The SIU program is managed by DEA's country office. 
 
¶3. Miscellaneous Issues: 
 
    Quarterly SENAD statistics 
 
    1st 2nd   3rd  4th 
 
Cocaine       58  0  0       0 
Seized (kg) 
 
Marijuana   9,434 0   0     0 
Seized (kg) 
 
Marijuana    994Has 0 0 0 
Crops 
Destroyed 
 
Total Arrests      75     0    0  0 
 
Cocaine Related     15      0      0  0 
 
Marijuana Related  39     0     0 0 
 
Other Related   21      0 0 0 
Violations 
 
 
CASON