VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAC #0157/01 0751111
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 161111Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY ASUNCION
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7679
INFO RUCNMER/MERCOSUR COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS ASUNCION 000157 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR WHA/BSC MDASHBACH, INL/LP DHOOKER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR AFIN PREL KCRIM PA
SUBJECT: PARAGUAY'S 2008 FOURTH QUARTER INL REPORT 
 
¶I. SUMMARY: The Government of Paraguay's National Anti-Drug 
Secretariat (SENAD) continued to work diligently on drug enforcement 
activities in the last quarter of 2008.  Seizures of both cocaine 
and marijuana remained steady and authorities arrested numerous drug 
traffickers. 
 
President Fernando Lugo's new administration has shown serious 
interest in strengthening its anti-narcotics efforts. INL continues 
to support SENAD's active demand reduction program, and provides 
operational support to the Specialized Technical Unit (UTE).  INL 
also continues to provide assistance for the Trafficking in Person 
Program (TIP) run by the Woman's Secretariat.  END SUMMARY. 
 
II. PROGRAM DISCUSSION: 
 
¶A. Demand Reduction: 
In October and November, SENAD's Prevention Program provided a total 
of 324 workshops, reaching 8,976 students, teachers and parents.  It 
conducted six educational workshops for 144 teachers on the social 
problems of drug consumption.   It also coordinated activities for 
prevention of drug use in 40 educational institutions and 
disseminated 2,395 informational pamphlets to teachers and 
counselors to use during workshops as well as three media releases 
regarding drug abuse.  No workshops occurred during the month of 
December due to school vacations. 
 
SENAD's prevention unit continued working on its main objective to 
reach hundreds of participants each month in Central and Amambay 
Departments.  The program included formal workshops, informal 
sessions, public seminars, and the distribution of informational 
materials. 
 
¶B. Narcotics detection canine (K-9) program: 
The canine program continues to have success in seizures and to 
enhance the overall efforts of SENAD's drug interdiction program. 
This quarter, canine alerts led to the seizure of seven kilos of 
cocaine, six kilos of ephedrine, and the arrests of seven suspects 
for these crimes. 
 
¶C. Law Enforcement: 
On October 2, 2008, SENAD seized five kilos of ephedrine contained 
in packages of tea hidden in a suitcase belonging to Mexican citizen 
Leobardo Gaxiola Lopez at Asuncion's airport.  The transport route 
was Asuncion-Sao Paulo-Mexico.  Authorities detained two additional 
Mexican suspects at a hotel in Asuncion. 
Between October 13 and 24, 2008, SENAD conducted marijuana 
eradication operations at various locations in the Amambay and 
Canindeyu Departments. Although authorities made no arrests in these 
operations, SENAD cleared 125 hectares of planted marijuana and 
destroyed 12,810 kilos of marijuana, 525 kilos of marijuana seeds, 
six hydraulic presses and 42 tents. 
On November 7, 2008, a search warrant executed at the DHL storage 
facility at the Asuncion airport resulted in the seizure of two 
packages with a total of one kilo of cocaine.  The cocaine was 
hidden in sewing kit spools of thread.  The two packages had a final 
destination of Lagos, Nigeria. Authorities made no arrests in this 
operation. 
 
 
On November 12, 2008, SENAD seized five kilos of cocaine from 
Peruvian citizens Enrique Osmar Lazo Perez and Martin Hinostroza 
Rivera at the Customs control post in Mariscal Estigarribia. 
 
On December 5, 2008, SENAD arrested Brazilians Sergio De Souza AKA 
Da Nemen Costeira, Danilo De Souza, Tiago Cordeiro AKA Calcinha, and 
Rodrigo De Rosa Oliveira AKA Rata, all suspected of being members of 
"COMANDO VERMELHO," one of the most powerful drug trafficking 
operations in Brazil.  The authorities caught the suspects driving a 
Suzuki Swift car without a license plate.  SENAD released the 
suspects into Brazilian custody at the Friendship Bridge. 
 
On December 17, 2008, SENAD agents seized 11 kilos of cocaine and 
two vehicles in Fernando de la Mora, Central Department.  SENAD 
arrested Paraguayans Arlindo Villanueva Caceres and Marcelo Carballo 
Gimenez and Brazilian Rony Freitas. 
 
¶D. Auto theft: 
News media reported an average of three auto thefts per day in 
November, for an average of 90 cars per month or 1,080 cars per year 
within the country. 
 
¶E. Border control: 
Border controls continue to be weak.  Control posts coincide with 
Paraguayan Customs offices at the main points of entry/exit of the 
country, leaving long stretches of Paraguay's borders with 
Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil unattended. 
 
¶F. Domestic violence and trafficking in persons: 
INL continues to support the anti-TIP program providing funds to 
cover operational costs for a shelter in Asuncion run by the Woman's 
Secretariat and funding the publication of pamphlets to be released 
among TIP victims and the general population.  The shelter's 
operational costs for the months of August through November were USD 
2,000. 
 
¶G. Intellectual property rights: 
During the last quarter of 2008, the Specialized Technical Unit 
(UTE) made significant progress in investigating major traders of 
counterfeit goods.  UTE seized pirated goods and assets such as 
hi-tech equipment, computer software, general electronics, and other 
consumer goods valued at USD 3,948,746. 
 
During the calendar year, UTE received USD 28,203 in operational 
support and seized a total of USD 18,502,607 in counterfeit and 
pirated goods mostly from intense enforcement efforts in and near 
Ciudad Del Este.  INL continues to provide UTE with funds for 
operational support. 
 
¶H. Money laundering and financial crimes: 
INL funds will support an upgrade of SEPRELAD's existing financial 
crime software currently in use, including technical assistance. 
SEPRELAD is hoping to have banks linked to the financial crime 
software by the first quarter of 2009. 
 
III. TRAINING: 
 
This past quarter INL Asuncion sent two SENAD canine handlers for a 
ten-week training course at the Regional Counter-narcotics Training 
Center in Laguna Pino, Guatemala from October 6 - December 12, 2008. 
 NAS Guatemala provided the training and INL Asuncion provided the 
funding at a total cost of USD 9,346. 
 
IV. MISCELLANEOUS ISSUES: 
 
Annual 2008 SENAD statistics 
 
Cocaine Seized (kg):                  278 
 
Marijuana Seized (kg):            172,460 
 
Marijuana Crops Destroyed (Has):    1,725 
 
Marijuana Related (kg):           701,800 
(Wax, seeds and plants) 
Total Arrests:                        419 
 
 
AYALDE