VZCZCXYZ0012
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBO #2623/01 2031504
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 211504Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3705
INFO RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RHEHOND/DIRONDCP WASHDC
RUEAWJC/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RUWDQAC/US INTERDICTION COORD WASHINGTON DC
RHMCSUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC//ICE/CNO//
RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RUMIJTF/DIRJIATF SOUTH KEY WEST FL

UNCLAS BOGOTA 002623 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR INL/LP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR PREL MOPS MASS PGOV CO
SUBJECT:  AIR BRIDGE DENIAL: JUNE 2008 PROGRAM UPDATE 
 
REF:  2003 STATE 265910 
 
¶1.  (U) SUMMARY.  This is the monthly Air Bridge Denial (ABD) 
activity report for June, 2008, as required by Reftel.  The 
Government of Colombia (GOC) sorted 5,867 tracks during June.  Three 
were Unknown, Assumed Suspect (UAS).  There were no Phase I/II/III 
events with one Law Enforcement End game ending in impoundment of an 
aircraft.  There were four events in missions in Support of 
Suppression of Illegal Maritime Traffic (SSIMT).  Three of them 
ended in law enforcement end games resulting in two GOFAST boats and 
two other ships impounded with 2.2 Metric Tons of cocaine and six 
arrests.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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Tracks 
------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) In June 2008, 5,867 tracks were sorted over Colombia, and 
three were declared UAS aircraft. Host Nation responded to two but 
was unable to locate the UAS.  The third one ended in a Law 
Enforcement (LE) end game with an aircraft impounded. 
 
----------- 
LE End Game 
----------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) On 26 June, 2008, an aircraft took off from Olaya Herrera 
airport in Medellin.  The aircraft filed a flight plan with the tail 
number of another aircraft which was also in the airport at the 
time.  The aircraft had a flight plan for an airport north of 
Medellin but changed destinations without notifying Air Traffic 
Control.  The Colombian Air Force sent an SR-560 tracker to search 
for the aircraft but it did not locate it.  The next day, another 
SR-560 was sent to find the aircraft and located it in an illegal 
runway, with armed, camouflaged individuals around it.  During the 
ensuing communications, it was disclosed that the individuals at the 
site were members of the Colombian National Police that proceeded to 
impound the aircraft, an Aero Commander two-engine aircraft.  No 
illegal substances were found. 
 
----- 
SSIMT 
----- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) On June 12, 2008, an SR-560 tracker was performing an 
SSIMT patrol in contact with a Colombian Coast Guard ship that was 
looking for a suspect ship.  The SR-560 located the ship visually, 
which was towing a smaller boat and led the Coast Guard ship to the 
suspect.  The smaller boat had been released from towing by the time 
the Coast Guard ship arrived. Both suspect ships were searched and 
approximately 257.8 kilos of cocaine were found inside the smaller 
ship. Both ships and the cocaine were impounded and six persons were 
arrested. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) On June 17, 2008, a Colombian Air Force A-27 aircraft on 
patrol along the northern Guajira Peninsula coast detected visually 
a GOFAST boat with two people aboard.  When the occupants of the 
GOFAS noticed the aircraft they returned to shore and left the boat 
at approximately N1208.53/W7208.65.  The A-37 was eventually 
replaced by another A-37 and a Citation SR-560.  Two Coast Guard 
ships were guided to the GOFAST. The ships located and impounded the 
GOFAST.  No drugs were located. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) On June 18, 2008, an SR-560 tracker on SSIMT patrol near 
the Gulf of Uraba in northern Colombia sighted visually and on radar 
a GOFAST boat headed northwest at approximately N0831/W77705.  The 
boat initially slowed down then accelerated to approximately 30 
knots.  A Coast Guard Ship was scrambled to intercept.  The GOFAST 
entered the Panama Air Defense Zone and the tracker did not receive 
authorization to enter, so it lost contact with the GOFAST. 
 
¶6. (SBU) On June 19, 2008, an SR-560 tracker on SSIMT patrol near 
the Gulf of Uraba in northern Colombia sighted visually and on radar 
a GOFAST boat headed northwest at approximately N0837W7659.  The 
boat had three people aboard in addition to approximately 20 gas 
cans and several packages with unknown cargo.  Three Colombian Coast 
Guard ships were scrambled for the intercept.  Two A-37 aircraft and 
one AH-60 helicopter gunship were also scrambled.  The GOFAST went 
into a river in the Choco Department and was hidden.  The three 
Coast Guard interceptors were led to the boat by the aircraft in the 
area.  When the Coast Guard members arrived at the site they were 
fired upon.  They repelled the attack and were later reinforced by 
Colombian Army and marine soldiers.   The attackers left the area. 
The GOC force found 79 packages of cocaine containing approximately 
1973 kilos of cocaine.  They also impounded the GOFAST and assorted 
cargo including gasoline, cellular phones and spare parts. 
 
----------------- 
Flight Operations 
----------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) In June 2008, the Citations flew 186 hours in 72 sorties 
with an Operational Readiness (OR) rate of 77 percent.  Of the 72 
sorties, 36 were for GOC ABD intelligence gathering and patrolling; 
three for training; eight were for operational support; 15 were for 
maritime patrolling; and 10 were in reaction to GOC-provided 
information.  The SR-26 aircraft 5741 flew 77 hours in 29 sorties 
with a 96% OR rate.  Twenty eight SR-26 sorties were in support of 
ABD, of which 12 were maritime missions.  One sortie was for non-ABD 
purposes.  SR-26 tail number 5742 is still out of commission after a 
ground mishap.  Further investigation disclosed that it cannot be 
brought back to operational status.  Usable spare parts will be 
removed and the remains turned over to GOC for disposal 
 
BROWNFIELD