VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #0287/01 0722132
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 132132Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3276
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
INFO RUCNMER/MERCOSUR COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000287 
 
SIPDIS 
 
G/TIP FOR PAULA GOODE, JANE SIGMON, BARBARA FLECK AND MARK 
FORSTROM 
WHA/PPC FOR SCOTT MILLER 
DHS/ICE FOR GABRIEL GONZALEZ AND KATERINA KAROUSOS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KTIP PHUM PREL KCRM SMIG KFRD ASEC ELAB KWMN
AR 
SUBJECT: ARGENTINA: ICE EXPERTS DELIVER TIP TRAINING 
 
REF: 08 BUENOS AIRES 761 
 
 ¶1.  Summary.  In an effort to strengthen the Argentine 
government's anti-trafficking efforts, Post,s Immigration 
and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Attache Office in coordination 
with the political section brought down two ICE experts to 
address three conferences on trafficking in persons (TIP). 
The first conference was organized by the University of 
Buenos Aires and attracted over 500 civil society 
participants.  The second was organized by the province of 
Cordoba which drew over 200 prosecutors, judges, and law 
enforcement officials at the federal and provincial levels. 
The third was a regional conference organized by the GOA,s 
Ministry of Justice which brought over 300 law enforcement 
and other government officials as well as a few 
Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) representatives from 
MERCOSUR members and associate states.  Training was 
well-received and demonstrated strong GOA and civil society 
interest in strengthening local capacity to effectively 
investigate and prosecute TIP crimes.  Conference 
participants expressed an interest in additional training on 
topics such as the role NGOs can play in TIP investigations, 
techniques on pursuing money laundering investigations as 
predicate offenses, how to identify and seize assets of 
traffickers.  Post will continue to work with GOA and civil 
society actors to identify new opportunities for further 
collaboration.  End summary. 
 
------------------------------ 
ICE Experts Offer TIP Training 
------------------------------ 
 
¶2.  Post,s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Attache 
Office, in coordination with the political section, brought 
down two ICE experts to address three conferences on 
trafficking in persons (TIP) as a follow up to Department of 
Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Julie Myers, offer to 
Minister of Justice Anibal Fernandez to offer of USG 
assistance in fighting TIP (reftel).  National Program 
Managers (NPM) Gabriel Gonzalez and Katerina Karousos from 
the ICE Headquarters, Office of Investigations, Human 
Smuggling and Trafficking Unit, traveled to Argentina in 
early June to serve as Subject Matter Experts (SME) at three 
separate TIP conferences. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
ICE Experts Share Best Practices with Latin America NGOs 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶3.  The first conference, was held June 4-6, 2008.  Eentitled 
the &First Latin American Congress Regarding Human Smuggling 
and Trafficking8, attracted over 500 civil society actors 
from all over Latin America and was organized by the 
University of Buenos Aires Social Sciences Department.  The 
conference was to outline Argentina,s initial steps in 
combating TIP, human smuggling and child sexual 
exploitation/pornography and to facilitate an exchange of 
ideas and investigative methodologies.  NPM Gonzalez served 
as one of eight experts on a panel that offered &Reflections 
on Human Smuggling and Trafficking in Latin America and the 
World8 where he explained ICE,s role as lead agency of the 
USG,s anti-trafficking effort. NPM Gonzalez was the only 
government law enforcement expert on the panel.  The panel 
consisted primarily of directors and representatives of NGOs 
from Argentina, Mexico, Spain, Peru, and the Caribbean. 
Other panels included conceptual political discussions 
related to Human Smuggling and Trafficking, Trafficking and 
Prostitution, Trafficking of Women and Children, Human 
Smuggling and Trafficking in Latin America and the World, 
Challenges Regarding Child Sexual Exploitation, and 
Identifying Organizations Combating Human Trafficking in 
Latin America and the Caribbean. 
 
¶4.  NPM Gonzalez and Karousos also delivered presentations 
which focused on sharing best practices in prosecuting and 
investigating human smuggling and trafficking, and empowering 
victims of trafficking.  They presented a short USG public 
service announcement in Spanish on how TIP victims can call a 
national hotline to received help.  They also presented a 
case study of a recent bust of a Mexican human trafficking 
ring to illustrate the importance of international 
cooperation in TIP investigations.  They also noted the key 
role that NGOs play in tipping off law enforcement 
authorities of potential crimes and providing assistance to 
TIP victims.  Approximately 100 participants from various 
NGOs, the University of Buenos Aires, local and federal law 
enforcement, and the general public attended.  In the 
Question and Answer session that followed, participants 
expressed admiration for how seriously USG law enforcement 
authorities take TIP investigations.  One participant noted 
that civil society has a hard time trusting law enforcement 
authorities to do anything, complaining that many are 
corrupt.  At the conclusion of the presentation, various NGOs 
requested assistance with ongoing human trafficking cases. 
NPM Gonzalez and NPM Karousos forwarded these leads and 
contact information to the ICE Attache for evaluation. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
ICE Offers Workshop to Eager Audience in Cordoba Province 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶5.  NPM Gonzalez, NPM Karousos and ICE Assistant Attache also 
traveled to Cordoba, Argentina to provide training on Human 
Smuggling and Trafficking at the Cordoba Provincial Criminal 
Investigative Academy.  The training was offered in response 
to a formal request for TIP training from Cordoba Province 
Attorney General Dr. Dario Vezzaro to the DCM.  Dr. Vezzaro 
offered to cover travel and lodging costs for the TIP 
instructors.  Post,s ICE office agreed to coordinate the 
training and attended the conference. 
 
¶6.  The training workshop was hosted by Dr. Vezzaro, and the 
Chief of Police of Cordoba, Daniel Alejo Paredes.  The 
twelve-hour block of instruction consisted of an Overview of 
Human Smuggling and Trafficking, Victim Services, 
Investigative Methodologies, Interviewing Techniques, Case 
Studies, and a Practical Exercise  Approximately 207 
individuals from the Judicial Police, Airport Police, 
National Gendarmeria (U.S. Border Patrol-equivalent), 
Immigration, Provincial Secretary of Human Rights, Provincial 
Minister of Justice, Victim Assistance Unit, Federal and 
Local Courts of Cordoba, NGOs, and the Cordoba Police 
attended the training.  Attendees showed a strong interest in 
the training subject matter, expressed a desire for 
additional training, and stated their willingness to work 
jointly with the USG to combat TIP.  Law enforcement entities 
also realized the need for a more proactive outreach program 
to prevent TIP.  Participants expressed an interest in 
additional training on 1) techniques to pursue financial 
(money laundering) investigations as predicate offenses in 
TIP cases; 2) how to identify and seize assets of 
traffickers; and 3) how to improve the coordination of 
investigations between provincial and federal law enforcement 
authorities. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
ICE Offers Training Seminar to MERCOSUR 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  NPM Gonzalez and NPM Karousos also participated in the 
the First International Symposium of MERCOSUR and Associated 
States Regarding Human Trafficking and Child Pornography, 
sponsored by the Ministry of Justice, Human Rights, and 
Security in Buenos Aires.  The conference began with keynote 
speeches from Minister of Justice Anibal Fernandez, the 
French Ambassador and Ambassador Wayne.  The symposium was 
attended by approximately 300 individuals representing 
numerous NGOs, and international organizations such as the 
International Organization of Migration (IOM), the United 
Nations International Children,s Fund (UNICEF), the Office 
of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), 
and government entities from MERCOSUR members and associate 
states Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, 
Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela as well as France and the 
United States.  The symposium consisted of several panels of 
experts discussing experiences and best practices learned in 
pursuing Human Trafficking and Child Pornography 
investigations, in addition to briefings by representatives 
of countries belonging to MERCOSUR and Associated States, a 
presentation from TIP activist Susana Trimarco (the mother of 
a kidnapped daughter who is believed to be a trafficking 
victim), and eight concurrent training workshops. 
 
¶8.  During the symposium, NPM Gonzalez and NPM Karousos led 
the USG workshop entitled &Experiences in Conducting Human 
Trafficking Investigations and Empowering Victims.8  The 
workshops were limited to 40 attendees and lasted six hours. 
The workshop was tasked to identify challenges, develop 
recommendations and conclusions for combating TIP.  Drawing 
from ICE experiences, NPM Gonzalez shared methodologies and 
best practices in combating human smuggling and trafficking, 
including the distinction in identifying and investigating 
each crime.  Participants included representatives from the 
Gendarmeria (Border Patrol) and the Prefectura Naval (Coast 
Guard-equivalent) and two NGOs that have worked closely with 
the GOA on TIP cases.  Participants identified the following 
challenges to investigating and prosecuting TIP crimes 
effectively: 1) limited legal authority of the varied law 
enforcement entities to initiate human trafficking 
investigations, such as the inability to conduct an interview 
unless directed by a judge or prosecutor, 2) lack of 
confidence in effectively working together with other 
government entities in TIP cases; 3) the limited scope of 
Argentina,s asset forfeiture regime which is only allowed in 
the prosecution of drug trafficking crimes. 
 
¶9.  Participants made the following recommendations to 
improve MERCOSUR,s efforts to combat TIP: 1) reinstitute/ 
enforce proper documentation and authorizations required of 
minors to enter or depart the country; 2) utilize 
investigative methodologies ) such as pursuing money 
laundering investigations as predicate offenses; 3) charge 
suspects with multiple offenses to increase the chances of 
stronger sentencing, and 4) identify and seize trafficker 
assets.  Principal conclusions included the expressed need 
for capacity building within the law enforcement entities, 
additional outreach campaigns for prevention and reporting 
purposes, immediate issuance of benefits and assistance to 
victims, proper funding and resources to combat TIP, and 
enhanced interagency coordination as well as coordination 
between provincial and federal law enforcement authorities. 
Workshop participants presented their conclusions in the 
Congress, closing session and gave the conclusion to the 
symposium organizers for distribution to all participants. 
 
¶10.  Postscript: This cable was written last June.  In 
preparing this year's input to the Annual Trafficking in 
Persons report, we discovered that the report had not been 
properly transmitted.  Because of the importance of this 
issue and the value of the June discussion, we are 
transmitting it now so that it receives appropriate 
distribution within the USG. 
WAYNE