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DE RUEHAC #0701 2891739
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O 151739Z OCT 08
FM AMEMBASSY ASUNCION
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7313
INFO RUCNMER/MERCOSUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNCS/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHNA/DEA HQS WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL PRIORITY
RHMFISS/USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASUNCION 000701 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/BSC MDASCHBACH, INL FOR NL/LP ASMITH, DGRAHAM 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/31/2033 
TAGS: SNAR MOPS PGOV BR BL PA
SUBJECT: ANTI-DRUG AGENTS ARREST FIRST CAPITAL COMMAND 
NARCOS 
 
Classified By: DCM Michael J. Fitzpatrick for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1.  (C) Paraguay's National Anti-Drug Secretariat (SENAD) 
arrested six members of the Sao Paulo-based gang First 
Capital Command October 13 operating near Pedro Juan 
Caballero (PJC), Amambay Department.  SENAD agents -- with 
the assistance of the U.S.-trained Paraguayan Military 
Forces' Joint Immediate Response Unit (DCEI) -- apprehended 
five Brazilians and one Paraguayan at a ranch near PJC owned 
by the PCC's primary representative in Paraguay, Carlos 
Antonio Caballero.  (NOTE:  Caballero was arrested October 11 
at the airport in Guarayos, Bolivia in possession of 277 
kilograms of cocaine.  END NOTE.)  SENAD agents arrested 
Caballero's son-in-law and designated successor, Brazilian 
Leandro Reis dos Nacimentos, who has an outstanding arrest 
warrant in Brazil for his involvement in the PCC, as well as 
Brazilians Olavo Cavalante da Silva, Jorge Luis Gomes Durate, 
Arnaldo Lobo Viana, and Paraguayan Ramon Jimenez Delgado. 
 
¶2.  (C) SENAD agents arrested the PCC gang members during a 
raid of Caballero's ranch carried out under "Operation 
Alliance II," a mission jointly executed by SENAD and DCEI 
with additional support from the United States and Brazil. 
Prosecutors authorized SENAD agents to search designated 
ranches in the departments of Amambay and Alto Parana -- 
including Caballero's property -- for evidence of narcotics 
operations, to arrest individuals suspected of cultivating 
marijuana, and to burn marijuana fields.  Brazilian 
authorities provided SENAD with information about the PCC 
that led SENAD to execute the raid, and the Brazilian 
military conducted concurrent military exercises on its side 
of the Brazilian-Paraguayan border to support the operation. 
 
¶3.  (C) COMMENT: This arrest represents a big 
counternarcotics success for the Lugo administration, which 
has been in office only two months.  It is particularly 
significant since it stems from international cooperation 
with Brazil and the United States.  The USG (via DEA, State 
INL and DOD funding) provides ongoing financial assistance, 
training and equipment to both SENAD and DCEI.  U.S. 
assistance enabled SENAD and DCEI to launch "Operation 
Alliance II" this year and "Operation Alliance I" in 2007, 
which resulted in the destruction of over USD 800 million in 
marijuana destined for the Brazilian market. END COMMENT. 
 
Please visit us at     http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/asuncion 
 
AYALDE