VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBO #1838/01 1371640
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 161640Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2903
INFO RHEHOND/DIR ONDCP WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL//SCJ2/SCJ3/SCJ5//
RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHDC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF STATE AIR WING PATRICK AFB FL

UNCLAS BOGOTA 001838 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR INL/LP AND INL/RM 
DEPT FOR WHA/AND 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR SENV KCRM PTER CO
SUBJECT: NAS MONTHLY REPORT FOR APRIL 
 
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SUMMARY 
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¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  In April the Government of Colombia (GOC) 
aerially eradicated 10,630 hectares of coca and manually eradicated 
another 1,607 hectares of coca and 48 hectares of poppy.  The 
Colombian National Police (CNP) seized 7.46 metric tons of cocaine 
HCl and coca base, 11.50 metric tons of marijuana, and 17 kilos of 
heroin.  They also captured 781.40 metric tons of precursor 
chemicals.  END SUMMARY 
 
-------------------------- 
AERIAL ERADICATION PROGRAM 
-------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) In April, the aerial eradication program sprayed 10,630 
hectares of coca.  AT-802s operating from Larandia, Tumaco, and 
Barrancabermeja sprayed 3,759, 5,569, and 1,302 hectares, 
respectively.  This brings the year-to-date total to 43,109 hectares 
of coca sprayed.  Eradication aircraft were involved in seven 
hostile fire incidents resulting in ten impacts.  This year there 
have been eighteen incidents and 48 impacts. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) For the first time in the program's history all three 
forward operating locations (FOLs) have standardized their spray 
packages, and each are using four or five AT-802s and their 
accompanying helicopter support.  Year-to-date the Tumaco FOL has 
sprayed more than 25,000 hectares and has concentrated its efforts 
on the coca rich Rio Patia area.  The Barrancabermeja FOL has 
concentrated its efforts on the Serrania de San Lucas area of 
southern Bolivar, which has been a traditional stronghold of an 
illegal armed group.  These eradication efforts have been part of a 
coordinated effort of the GOC to wrest control from the armed groups 
that have controlled these areas. 
 
-------------------------- 
MANUAL ERADICATION PROGRAM 
-------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) Due to numerous security incidents, two GME deployment 
delays, and overly optimistic initial planning, the GOC is severely 
behind schedule in meeting its manual eradication goal of 100,000 
hectares.  In April, there was limited GME activity.  The GMEs were 
supposed to have returned from leave on the 15th, but "Accion 
Social" did not receive their budget allocation in time and the 
deployment was postponed until early May.  In fact, the MOD had to 
transfer the equivalent of almost $30 million dollars to "Accion 
Social" for manual eradication.  For April, the GOC reported that 
its forces manually eradicated 1,607 hectares of coca and 48 
hectares of opium poppy - bringing the year-to-date totals to 18,662 
hectares of coca, 167 hectares of opium poppy, and 12 hectares of 
marijuana.  GMEs continued their work along the Ecuador border in 
Putumayo and Narino.  On the 30th one civilian eradicator was killed 
and another injured by a mine explosion in Puerto Asis, Putumayo. 
On the 25th a few GME groups began operating in Vista Hermosa, Meta. 
 There are plans to have as many as ten GMEs operating there in 
support of the Center for Integrated Action (CCAI, by its Spanish 
acronym).  CCAI is an inter-agency (USAID, MLGRP and NAS) supported 
project in which the GOC plans to bring a full array of government 
services to the area in an attempt to consolidate and solidify the 
territorial gains the Colombian Army has achieved there. 
 
--------------- 
NATIONALIZATION 
--------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) The GOC and USG confirmed that October 1, will be the date 
the GOC assumes fuel costs for all NAS aircraft.  The GOC also 
responded officially that it would like to lease and not take title 
of the eighteen UH-1N helicopters offered to it.  Those helicopters 
were grounded from operations after April 30, pending the conclusion 
of the ongoing (lease) negotiations.  NAS completed the title 
transfer for the four Colombian Air Force (COLAF) Schweitzer 
helicopters and one Colombian Navy (CONAV) Caravan airplane.  NAS 
awaits the GOC to finalize the title transfer agreements for COLAR 
UH-1H helicopters at the flight training school in Melgar. 
 
------------- 
ENVIRONMENTAL 
------------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) In April, the interagency complaints committee received 52 
new claims of alleged spray damage to legal crops.  Currently, there 
are 1,005 complaints pending (and a total of 8,042 complaints 
received since the program began).  The committee admitted two 
complaints for future on-site verification, and remanded 120 for 
more information from the complainants.  NAS paid $13,000 USD to 
four complainants from Putumayo.  Since the program began, NAS has 
compensated a total of 92 complaints for approximately $475,000 USD. 
 An additional eighteen complaints have been approved for future 
compensation.  The NAS complaints lawyer conducted three trainings 
with DIRAN for local leaders involved in the complaints process in 
the Departments of Antioquia, Narino, Bolivar, and Santander. 
 
¶7. (SBU) NAS coordinated two events with Colombia's Foreign Ministry 
showcasing the environmental photo exhibit.  On the 22nd, Foreign 
Minister Araujo (FM) hosted an Earth Day event at the Foreign 
Ministry to present the newly redesigned exhibit which illistrates 
the harmful environmental impact of illicit crops.  On the 29th, the 
FM participated in the opening ceremony of the International 
Vallenato Festival in Valledupar.  Participants included the city's 
Mayor, the Governor of Cesar, and the NAS Deputy Director.  Araujo 
presented "Environmental Ambassador" awards at both events, which 
were widely covered by local press. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
PLAN COLOMBIA HELICOPTER PROGRAM (PCHP) 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) In April PCHP aircraft flew a total 1,201.2 hours. 
Aircraft operating from Tumaco, Purificacion, Barrancabermeja, and 
Tolemaida continued to provide air assaults, air movements, 
reconnaissance, medical evacuations, and support missions for the CD 
Brigade and other vetted COLAR units.  Air assaults continue to be 
effective in securing spray blocks for the eradication program and 
interdiction operations.  PCHP accumulated 35.4 hours supporting ten 
medical evacuation flights that transported eighteen military and 
civilian personnel.  Year-to-date PCHP aircraft have accumulated 150 
flight hours supporting the GOC's manual eradication program. 
 
¶9. (SBU) PCHP helicopter EJC-401 suffered an engine failure near 
Tumaco.  No injuries were sustained when the crew landed the 
aircraft in a jungle clearing.  The aircraft was later sling loaded 
to Tumaco by a COLAR MI-17 helicopter, air lifted to Bogota aboard a 
COLAF C-130 cargo aircraft and trucked to the CNP hangar at 
Guaymaral for repairs. 
 
------------------------------- 
CNP AIR SERVICE (ARAVI) SUPPORT 
------------------------------- 
 
¶10. (SBU) ARAVI's NAS-supported fleet flew 1,616 mission hours.  The 
seven UH-60 Black Hawks closed out the month with 126 flight hours. 
The manufacturer completed structural repairs on a UH-60 that had 
been grounded for a year.  The aircraft should return to operational 
duties shortly. 
 
¶11. (SBU) The Bell 212 fleet flew 184 mission hours.  One aircraft 
is in the final stages of depot maintenance consisting of rewiring 
and night vision goggle compatibility upgrades, and should return to 
flight operations shortly.  The Huey II fleet flew 840 hours.  Five 
Huey II aircraft are down for depot maintenance.  The ARAVI program 
continues using the acquired second structural jig to correct 
defects in the UH-II and Bell 212 aircraft.  This should greatly 
increase the operational readiness (OR) rate in the coming months. 
The DC-3 fleet flew 364 hours.  ARAVI awaits delivery of the first 
C-26 undergoing upgrades of intelligence gathering equipment at 
factory in the U.S.  The estimated arrival date is September. 
 
------------ 
INTERDICTION 
------------ 
 
¶12.  (SBU) During April the CNP seized 7.46 metric tons of cocaine 
HCl and coca base, 11.50 metric tons of marijuana, and 17 kilos of 
heroin.  The CNP also destroyed sixteen cocaine HCl labs, 190 coca 
base labs, and captured 781.4 metric tons of precursor chemicals. 
 
¶13. (SBU) On April 2, the Tulua airmobile company captured 592 kilos 
of cocaine hidden near El Plateado, Cauca.  On the 5th, the DIRAN 
Cucuta Company destroyed an HCl lab along with 300 kilos of cocaine, 
6,955 gallons of liquid precursors, and 550 kilos of solid 
precursors near Cucuta, Norte de Santander.  On the 9th, the Santa 
Marta jungla company eradicated four hectares of marijuana 
(estimated to be 1.2 metric tons) near Cienaga, Magdalena.  On the 
10th, the Tulua judicial police captured three key narcotraffickers 
in Buenaventura.  On the 16th, the Bogota Airmobile Company 
destroyed an HCl lab containing 517.5 kilos of cocaine, 323 kilos of 
coca base, 2,500 gallons of liquid precursors and 1.4 metric tons of 
solid precursor chemicals near Puerto Salgar, Cundinamarca.  On the 
24th, DIRAN captured three extraditables in Cali who were 
responsible for organizing a "go-fast" boat transportation system. 
On the 25th, the Bogota airmobile company destroyed a cocaine HCl 
lab in Mapiripan, Meta containing 4,395 gallons of liquid and 6.4 
metric tons of solid precursors.  On the 27th, DIRAN intercepted 392 
kilos of cocaine hidden in a taxi in Buenaventura. 
 
¶14. (SBU) On-going training courses include the second eight week 
ODE (explosives and demolitions) course (with 40 students), the 
21-week combat medic course (with 40 students), and the 18-week 
jungla international course with 107 students, including 18 from 
other countries in the Americas.  Jungla instructors also conducted 
training seminars for thirteen EMCAR squadrons that are supporting 
manual eradication.  These seminars are designed to reduce the 
casualties and fatalities of manual eradicators and security 
personnel.  Finally, jungla instructors trained 130 Colombian United 
Nations manual eradication supervisors.  The five-day course 
included classes on patrolling, survival, explosives, weapons, land 
navigation, and combat first aid. 
 
--------------------------- 
PORT SECURITY PROGRAM (PSP) 
--------------------------- 
 
¶15. (SBU) In April DIRAN's Ports and Airports Area (ARPAE) unit 
seized 2.4 tons of cocaine at the Port of Buenaventura, 125 kilos of 
cocaine at the Port of Cartagena, 125 kilos of cocaine at the Port 
of Uraba, 130 kilos of cocaine, five kilos of heroin and 38 kilos of 
marijuana at the Bogota airport, five kilos of cocaine and 36 kilos 
of marijuana at the Cali airport, and 21 kilos of cocaine at the 
airport of Pereira.  Two U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) 
canine experts, one assigned to NAS-Peru and the other from the CBP 
Front Royal canine academy performed an assessment of all of the 
canine assets at the international air and seaports on the North 
Coast. 
 
¶16. (SBU) The DIRAN polygraph unit conducted polygraph exams on 41 
members of the DIRAN's Ports and Airports Area (ARPAE) unit in 
support of several internal affairs investigations.  Twenty-seven 
passed the exam, eleven failed, and three were inconclusive.  Four 
members of the polygraph unit received training on 
counter-intelligence polygraph techniques. 
 
----------------------- 
AIR BRIDGE DENIAL (ABD) 
----------------------- 
 
¶17.  (SBU) The GOC sorted 6,859 tracks over Colombia in April of 
which four were declared "unknown, assumed suspect" (UAS).  The GOC 
responded to all UAS aircraft.  Two were located and visually 
identified, and the information was passed on to Central American 
law enforcement agencies.  Guatemalan authorities impounded one of 
these after it landed.  The pilot escaped, but 459 kilos of cocaine 
were seized. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
COLOMBIAN ARMY COUNTERDRUG (CD) BRIGADE 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶18.  (SBU) The CD Brigade 1st and 3rd battalions continued 
supporting both aerial and manual eradication efforts and conducting 
interdiction operations from operational bases in Tumaco, Narino and 
Barrancabermeja, Santander.  The 2nd battalion conducted light 
infantry and air assault training from San Jose del Guaviare.  In 
April the Brigade carried out counternarcotics operations against 
the FARC's 1st and Mahecha Fronts and the Daniel Aldana Mobil Column 
in Narino, Guaviare, and Bolivar.  The Brigade secured a total of 
6,828 hectares during eradication operations and 48 hectares during 
manual eradication.  The Brigade destroyed one HCl lab, nine coca 
base labs, one enemy cache, 4,265 gallons of liquid coca, 6,782 
gallons of liquid precursors, 2,509 kilos of solid precursors, 1,075 
kilos of freshly picked coca leaf, 1,625 kilos of coca leaf 
in-process, and 120,000 coca seedlings. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
REESTABLISH POLICE PRESENCE PROGRAM (CARABINEROS) 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶19. (SBU)  In response to the murder of two policemen in Antioquia, 
CNP Director General Naranjo ordered the formation of a task force 
(bloque de busqueda, in Spanish)to apprehend Daniel Rendon (alias 
'Don Mario').  The multi-directorate operation included two 
carabinero squadrons that were deployed to the area to conduct area 
control and search operations.  So far during the operation, the 
carabineros have seized one ton of cocaine along with 22 kilos of 
heroin. 
¶20.  (SBU) Carabineros in Putumayo captured sixteen members of a new 
emerging criminal group (BACRIM in Spanish) known as "Rastrojos." 
The Cauca carabinero squadron captured seven members of the FARC's 
Jacobo Arena mobile column, and the Antioquia carabineros captured 
another five combatants from the FARC's 18th Front.  Other 
operational highlights include three enemy combatants killed in 
action and 240 captured (17 narcotraffickers, 20 FARC/ELN, 38 BACRIM 
and 165 common criminals).  Additionally, the EMCAR seized 234 
weapons, 159 grenades, 260 kilograms of explosives, 5,389 gallons of 
liquid precursors, 6,083 kilos of solid precursors, 287 kilos of 
coca base and 196 kilos of marijuana.  They also recovered 39 
vehicles and destroyed 19 coca base labs. 
 
------------------------------- 
BASE SECURITY/ROAD INTERDICTION 
------------------------------- 
 
¶21.  (SBU) On the 17th, the ninth carabinero-specific base defense 
"train-the-trainer" course graduated fifty students.  Preparations 
are ongoing for the next month-long base defense course which will 
take place in the Gulf of Uraba region of Antioquia.  The course 
will address upgrades, renovations, and emerging security 
requirements at the antinarcotics base there. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
NAVY TACTICAL INTELLIGENCE UNIT (GRUIN) 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶22.  (SBU) In April the COLNAV tactical intelligence unit (GRUIN) 
participated in Operation Power Play, which was supported by 
JIATF-S, NAS, DEA, and the British government.  During the operation 
the unit infiltrated and verified a number of targets as well as 
seized approximately 1.3 tons of cocaine.  The operation temporarily 
expanded the unit's operational capability to extend itself.  Also 
in April, twelve GRUIN Commandos completed the requisite COLNAV 
intelligence course. 
 
--------------------------- 
INDIVIDUAL DESERTER PROGRAM 
--------------------------- 
 
¶23.  (SBU) In April a total of 207 individuals deserted from 
Colombian terrorist organizations.  Since the program began in 
August of 2002, a total of 15,575 individuals have deserted.  Of 
this number, almost 9,400 deserted from the FARC.  Deserters 
continue to provide invaluable information that has led many major 
police and military successes. 
 
-------------- 
COMMUNICATIONS 
-------------- 
 
¶24.  (SBU) In April the DIRAN telematica office conducted 
communication training in Santa Marta and Tulua.  This training was 
given to operational commandos, base personnel, and all radio 
operators.  Training consisted of single channel radio wave theory, 
antenna theory, and practical application on all the radios in the 
CNP inventory.  A team from telematica visited the Ports of 
Cartagena, Santa Marta, and Barranquilla to gather information 
exchange requirements to support a new software connectivity plan 
for the ports along the North Coast. 
 
-------------------------- 
DRUG DEMAND REDUCTION (DDR) 
-------------------------- 
 
¶25.  (U) The Direccion Nacional de Estupefacientes (DNE) reports 
that preparations for Colombia's first nationwide comprehensive drug 
survey in more than twelve years are on schedule and that it expects 
the preliminary results to be ready as early as October.  The survey 
results will determine whether anecdotal evidence alleging increased 
drug consumption in Colombia is accurate.  The project has USG 
funding. 
 
------------------ 
MANAGEMENT SECTION 
------------------ 
 
¶26.  (U) In April NAS unified its dedicated internet network (DIN) 
users onto a single LAN dramatically improving mobility, interaction 
with in-house applications and simplifying system administration. 
The management section also shared position description information 
with NAS Mexico to assist in hiring locally engaged staff (LES) in 
the future. 
 
BROWNFIELD