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RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHZP #0119 0411345
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 101345Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY PANAMA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2968
INFO RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 2766
RUEHSJ/AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE 1986
RHMFISS/COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/DIRJIATF SOUTH
RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L PANAMA 000119 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/06/2019 
TAGS: PGOV PREL SNAR PM
SUBJECT: PANAMA: SENAN SEIZES 2.5 TONS OF COCAINE IN GAME 
CHANGING OPERATION 
 
REF: PANAMA 00016 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Barbara J. Stephenson for reasons 1.4 (c) and 
 (d) 
 
------------------- 
Water Shed Operation 
-------------------- 
 
¶1.  (C)  Panama's National Aero-Naval Service (SENAN) police 
seized 2.46 tons of cocaine in a mangrove swamp February 1 
that had been off-loaded from a go-fast vessel. The vessel 
had been hiding in the Lavaina river since January 28 after 
being trapped by SENAN vessels acting on information 
generated by DEA, and passed to the SENAN by Post TAT. Two 
SENAN vessels then stood watch at the mouth of the river for 
five days, while U.S. and SENAN aviation units and 
approximately 30 SENAN officers working on land searched for 
the vessel in some of the most difficult terrain in Panama, 
while maintaining constant communication and exchanging 
information with TAT. SENAN forces also seized an almost new 
go-fast vessel with three outboard engines near the cocaine. 
Commissioner Juan Vergara, the effective number two of the 
SENAN, went into the field and personally led the operation. 
 
¶2.  (C)  On February 2 new information was passed to the 
SENAN and Panamanian National Police from DEA through TAT, 
indicating the possible location of three suspects. PNP and 
SENAN officers were able to locate, confirm, and arrest the 
three suspects, all Colombian males. 
 
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Comment 
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¶3.  (C)  This is a watershed moment for the SENAN. For the 
last three years, the Panamanian Maritime Service (SMN), now 
merged with the National Air Service (SAN) into SENAN, was 
"unable and unwilling" to act effectively on the wealth of 
information of this kind passed from the TAT. With the 
appointment of Director Rigoberto Gordon (reftel), Post has 
seen numerous signs that the SENAN is willing to confront the 
institutional corruption that had turned it into a completely 
ineffective counter-narcotics force. Gordon has limited the 
sharing of information to a small core of trusted officers, 
of which Vergara is the most important, and has pulled 
together the functional forces he has to create an 
operational unit within the SENAN. This bust is a stunning 
success for Gordon, and an indication of the importance of 
leadership and will in creating effective maritime 
interdiction forces. Post will continue to partner with the 
SENAN, and push for continued institutional strengthening of 
the organization. Given Panama's critical position on current 
littoral drug trafficking routes, a strong, effective SENAN 
could represent a significant change in the balance of 
forces. 
STEPHENSON