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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRASILIA 001684 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR S/CT MARC NORMAN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/30/2018 
TAGS: PTER ASEC
SUBJECT: EMBASSY BRASILIA PROPOSAL FOR S/CT NADR PROJECT 
 
REF: STATE 128554 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affairs Lisa Kubiske, Reason 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (SBU) Per reftel, post welcomes the opportunity to request 
funding to address capability shortfalls and information gaps 
as Brazil and other countries in South America face mounting 
and increasingly complex challenges in combating the myriad 
problems related to terrorism financing, money laundering, 
drug trafficking, and international organized criminal 
activity in the region.  While Brazil is making strides in 
enhancing its capabilities and legal framework, tackling 
these issues effectively requires regionally integrated 
approaches. 
 
¶2. (C) Intelligence data show that terrorist groups such as 
Hizballah raise funds not only from the Triborder area of 
Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil, but from sympathetic Shi'a 
communities in other parts of South America, such as Chile 
and Colombia.  Iran is increasingly active in the region, 
potentially reaching new sources of funding and support by 
sponsoring Islamic Cultural Centers to stoke pro-Iran and 
pro-Hizballah feelings among local communities.  Pockets of 
Islamic extremism in Brazil have not been fully investigated 
and could be supporting terrorist activities elsewhere 
through criminal enterprises and financing.  International 
organized criminal networks also pose an increasing threat to 
countries in the region. Narco-terrorist guerrillas continue 
to expand their international reach and threaten regional 
stability as they strengthen their links to local organized 
crime networks.  For example, once purely-local criminal 
groups such as Sao Paulo's First Capital Command (Primeiro 
Comando da Capital, PCC) and Rio de Janeiro's Red Command 
(Comando Vermelho, CV), are increasing their international 
reach and connecting with other regional criminal networks to 
 purchase drugs and weapons and enhance their capabilities. 
Brazilian Federal Judge Odilon de Oliveira has observed that 
the FARC  has trained members of PCC and CV on kidnapping 
techniques.  Oliveira also claims that Brazilian 
narcotraffickers deal directly with the FARC in purchasing 
drugs, bypassing Colombian intermediaries.  Also of concern 
is PCC,s growing presence in Paraguay.  Regional approaches 
are necessary to counter the strengthened and increasingly 
deadly capabilities fostered by these growing international 
linkages. 
 
¶3. (U) 1. (U) Per ref, Embassy Brasilia requests NADR 
anti-terrorism funding for a regional conference in 2009 to 
discuss the range of financial crimes that are linked to 
terrorist and narco-terrorist organizations in South America. 
 
 
Title of Embassy Brasilia Proposed Project: 
 
-- 2nd Annual Latin America Threat Finance Conference, August 
2009, Rio de Janeiro 
 
Implementing Agency or Organization: 
 
-- Resident Legal Advisor (RLA) for Brazil 
 
Description of Program: 
 
-- The project will build on, institutionalize, and 
internationalize a successful August 2008 exchange hosted by 
LEGATT Brasilia in Rio de Janeiro which drew about 100 
participants from Brazilian law enforcement agencies, along 
with a few international participants.  The proposed 2009 
conference will expand on the 2008 exchange and include at 
least 200 prosecutors and judges (from Brazil's money 
laundering courts), as well as law enforcement and judicial 
officials from the countries of the Southern Cone of South 
America. 
 
-- The conference agenda will focus on trends and methods of 
terrorism and narco-terrorism financing, financial profiling, 
banking and money remittance systems, wire transfers, bulk 
cash smuggling, investigative/analytical techniques and 
resources, developing task forces, data exploitation. 
Experts from the FBI, Treasury, Department of Justice and 
other U.S. agencies will conduct some of the training, as 
well as presenters from various participating countries, 
including Brazilian money-laundering expert Federal judge 
 
BRASILIA 00001684  002 OF 002 
 
 
Odilon de Oliveira. 
 
Objectives: 
 
-- The conference will facilitate dialogue between U.S. 
officials and their Latin American counterparts, build 
partner capacity in financial investigative and analytical 
techniques, and raise participant countries' awareness of the 
value of counter-money laundering and terrorism finance 
investigations. Increased valuation of and attention to such 
investigations can inhibit  criminal and terrorist groups by 
denying access to funding, bolster the integrity of 
participant countries, financial systems, and improve rule 
of law. Increased regional cooperation will hinder 
transnational criminal activity and contribute to the overall 
security, stability, and prosperity of the region. 
 
Target audience: 
 
-- Intelligence, police and customs officials, prosecutors, 
and judges from Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, 
Uruguay, Chile, and Colombia.  Although outside the Souther 
Cone, including officials from Colombia would usefully expand 
the dialogue to effectively discuss FARC illicit financial 
activity in the region. 
 
Timeline: 
 
-- August 2009 
 
Embassy point of contact: 
 
-- Karine Moreno-Taxman Resident Legal Advisor 
      TaxmanKM@state.gov, (55-61) 3312-7125 
 
Alternate points of contact: 
 
-- David Brassanini, LEGATT 
      BrassaniniDG@state.gov, (55-61) 3312-7303 
 
-- Melissa San Miguel, ECON Officer (Terrorism Finance) 
      SanMiguelMA@state.gov, (55-61) 3312-7181 
 
-- Javier A. Gonzalez, POL Officer (Counterterrorism) 
      GonzalezJA@state.gov (55-61) 3312-7509 
 
Costs: 
 
-- Project costs will be determined according to 
participation from other countries.  Several posts have 
already been approached and are supportive of the concept, 
including Santiago and Montevideo.  This year's conference, 
which consisted mainly of Brazilian participants costs 
approximately USD 60,000.  A minimum of USD 200,000 to 
300,000 would be necessary to reach the intended target 
audience for next year's conference. 
 
KUBISKE