VZCZCXYZ0001
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHPE #1555/01 2662213
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 222213Z SEP 08
FM AMEMBASSY LIMA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9362
INFO RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 5998
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 7935
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 3472
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 1226
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ SEP MEXICO 3690
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 2073
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 2005

UNCLAS LIMA 001555 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR INL/LP AND WHA/PPC 
ONDCP FOR LT COL RONALD GARNER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR KCRM ASEC PREL PE
SUBJECT: LIMA NAS MONTHLY REPORT - AUGUST 
 
 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: 
- NAS Director Visits Pucallpa, Santa Lucia and Tingo Maria 
- Mazamari Pre-Academy's Multi-Cultural Students' Movie Debut 
- DIRANDRO Seizure Report 
- Eradication Operations Shift to Aucayacu 
- Police Resources Redirected to APEC 
- Typhoid Outbreak in Palma Pampa 
- NAS Ports Program Report 
- DEA/NAS Ports sponsored Chemical Unit Report 
- Port of Callao Camera Project Completed 
- National Anti-corruption Office Dismantled 
- Planned Coca/Coffee Festival Flops 
- Study on Youth Attitudes Towards Drugs in Lima 
 
 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
NAS Director Visits Pucallpa, Santa Lucia and Tingo Maria 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
¶2. (U) NAS Director visited NAS operations and the CORAH 
facility in Pucallpa.  Also during the month of August, 
Director Arias visited the base and academy in Santa Lucia 
and the FOL in Tingo Maria. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
Mazamari Pre-Academy's Multi-Cultural Students' Movie Debut 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
¶3. (U) The National Committee of Native Communities of 
Mazamari invited students from the Mazamari pre-academy to 
participate as movie extras in an educational film in the 
Ashaninka community of Teroia.  The purpose of the film is to 
educate people about the history, customs and way of life of 
the native communities in Junin Department.  NAS sponsored 
pre-academies emphasize the importance of the involvement of 
native communities in the counter narcotics efforts and draw 
students, and native speakers of the various indigenous 
languages, from these same communities. 
 
----------------------- 
DIRANDRO Seizure Report 
----------------------- 
 
¶4. (U) DIRANDRO reports the seizure of 5,793.171 kilos of 
cocaine base, 11,099.259 kilos of HCL cocaine, 1582.189 kilos 
of marihuana, 121.930 kilos of opium, and 184 kilos of 
ecstasy.  Over 3,000 kilograms of chemical precursors 
were seized and 113 cocaine base laboratories destroyed. 
 
 
------------------------------------------- 
Eradication Operations Shift to Aucayacu 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (U) Though eradication operations were supported with FAP 
MI-17 and PNP Mi-17 for the most of the month, civil unrest 
in various regions towards the end of August drew on Aviation 
Police and FAP Mi-17 resources creating an availability 
shortage for eradication support.  However, UH-2 support was 
provided for the eradication operation shift south toward 
Aucayacu allowing 
completion of the first eradication operation in the 
immediate vicinity of Aucayacu on August 29. 
 
Temporary facilities at the Tingo Maria Forward Operating 
Location FOL) are completed and ready to support eradication 
operations when the time comes to move support for Aucayacu 
eradication there. 
 
¶6. (U) CORAH completed August with 724.38 hectares bringing 
the yearly total to 6900.56.  Operations in the Aucayacu 
area, considered both a SL and cocalero hot spot, began on 29 
August with no violence.  Cocaleros planned to protest at the 
eradication site August 30, but did not do so.  (Note: 
Apparently unbeknownst to the coca growers, eradicators and 
support had completed work at the site, and would not have 
been there should the protest had been realized.) 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
Aviation Police Budget Reduced, Resources Redirected to APEC 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
¶7. (U) The PNP's remaining 2008 Aviation budget has been 
reduced by 70 percent, with the resources redirected to 
security for the November APEC conference, as ordered by the 
Director General of the PNP.  Consequently, the PNP Aviation 
has now requested that NAS provide fuel for all charter 
missions as opposed to leasing the Mi-17s or An-32. 
Additionally, they requested that NAS immediately pay 
outstanding invoices for charter services and expedite 
payment of any future charter flight invoices.  This scramble 
for funds may curtail the eventual availability of the Mi-17s 
and An-32 for eradication support in the lead up to APEC. 
 
------------------------------- 
Typhoid Outbreak in Palma Pampa 
------------------------------- 
 
¶8. (U) Several PNP Aviation personnel, one contractor and a 
NAS local-hire contracted typhoid fever the last week of 
August.  The outbreak was limited to five active cases and 
ten asymptomatic infections and is believed to have been 
caused by food consumption in town.  The initial cases were 
confirmed through blood tests at the local clinic.  Shortly 
after the confirmation, the DIRANDRO base in Mazamari sent 
medical personnel to test all staff at the FOL and found no 
additional cases.  Though the typhoid outbreak reduced 
available flight crews down to three, interdiction operations 
continued. 
 
 
------------------------ 
NAS Ports Program Report 
------------------------ 
 
¶9. (U) NAS Ports sponsored Peruvian Customs (SUNAT) and the 
Peruvian National Police DIRANDRO interdicted and seized 
approximately 806.46 kilos of cocaine at the Jorge Chavez 
International Airport (JCIA), Postal Office (SERPOST), and 
the Port of Callao in Lima.  The majority of the cocaine 
seized was destined for the United States via Mexico.  SUNAT, 
using the NAS supplied Body Scanner at JCIA, screened 641 
individuals and discovered 19 internal carriers.  NAS Ports 
has noticed a decrease in the numbers of persons scanned and 
the identification of internal carries and is seeking to 
identify the reasons for this phenomenon. 
 
¶10. (U) At the Port of Callao, where approximately 85 percent 
of all official exports depart Peru, SUNAT scanned 15,194 
containers using NAS provided equipment resulting in the 
physical inspection of 326 containers.  The number of scans 
has been declining because only one of the three scanners are 
currently in use. 
 
On 27 August, SUNAT authorities detected containers with 
powdered paprika destined for Manzanillo, Mexico.  SUNAT, 
through the use of NAS provided ion-scans, NAS trained 
canines, and intelligence produced by the NAS sponsored Task 
Force at the Port of Callao, discovered that the paprika was 
adulterated with cocaine.  The PNP estimates that the 
shipment of eight metric tons of paprika contained 700 kilos 
of cocaine. 
 
------------------------------------------- 
DEA/NAS Ports sponsored Chemical Unit Report 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶11. (U) In a raid of a cocaine HCL conversion laboratory at 
Tazo Grande, District of Monzon, the Chemical Unit seized two 
metric tons (MT) of acetone,  one MT of sulfuric acid, 150 
kilograms of kerosene, multiple 
microwaves, four large hydraulic presses, and other 
laboratory equipment.  The Unit estimates that this lab 
produced over a ton of cocaine HCL each month.  Six 
maceration pits were also located and destroyed in the Tingo 
Maria area. 
 
The Unit seized 500 kilograms of hydrochloric acid hidden in 
the luggage compartment of a bus.  The acid was stored in 
containers marked with the label of a company under 
investigation for diversion of precursor chemicals. 
 
In the jungle areas just outside of San Francisco, in the 
Department of Huanuco, the Unit also destroyed a cocaine HCL 
laboratory and seized 500 kilograms of Acetone as well as 
microwave ovens, hydraulic presses, balance-scales, and a 
chemical recycler. 
 
-------------------------------------- 
Port of Callao Camera Project Completed 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶12. (U) NAS Ports Program has completed the installation of 
new security cameras in the Port of Callao, aiming to prevent 
last-minute illicit additions to ships' cargo.  NAS Ports 
will begin a similar project to install cameras at the Port 
of Paita, Peru's second leading port in exports in September. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
National Anti-corruption Office Dismantled 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶13. (U) On August 15, regulations governing the National 
Anti-corruption Office (ONA) were modified so that all its 
functions went to the Ministry of Justice and the Secretaria 
de Gestion Publica.  The Public Ministry and the Comptroller 
General will continue in their respective anti-corruption 
functions.  The ONA had the responsibility, among others, to 
ensure the implementation of the Inter-American Convention 
against Corruption and had the lead in the Anti-corruption 
and Transparency Group for APEC.  These particular 
responsibilities are in the hands of the Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs, the Prime Minister's Council and the Ministry of 
Justice. 
 
---------------------------------- 
Planned Coca/Coffee Festival Flops 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶14. (U) Coca growers, with the support of the Regional 
Government Agricultural Director (RGAD) in Pulcallpa, 
organized a joint, two day coca and coffee festival to 
highlight coca as a legitimate crop and promote coca as a 
nutritional food.  In a surprising move, the coffee producers 
did not participate.  Current and former coca leaders from 
the region also did not attend. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
Study on Youth Attitudes Towards Drugs in Lima 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶15. (U) In conjunction with local consultant group, Arellano 
Consultants, NAS rolled out the completed study on Lima 
youth.  The study examined the social context of teenagers 
between the ages of ten and 18 most at risk for drug use and 
involvement in the illicit drug industry. The study focused 
on media preferences and behaviors, youth opinions and 
attitudes towards drugs and drug use, and the overall 
effectiveness of counter drug messaging campaigns.  NAS 
hosted the presentation for more than 70 attendees including 
counter narcotics communications counterparts, drug 
prevention NGOs, and US Embassy officers from various 
agencies. 
MCKINLEY