VZCZCXYZ0003
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #0295/01 0752138
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 162138Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3290
INFO RUCNMER/MERCOSUR COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC

C O N F I D E N T I A L BUENOS AIRES 000295 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/16/2019 
TAGS: PREL SNAR MARR MASS KTIP ASEC AR
SUBJECT: ARGENTINE GENDARMERIE COMMANDING GENERAL WELCOMES 
ENHANCED COLLABORATION WITH USG 
 
Classified By: Ambassador E. Anthony Wayne for 

reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 

 

¶1. (C) Summary: Argentine Gendarmeria (Border Patrol) 

Commanding General Hector Schenone called on the Ambassador 

March 4 at his request to introduce a new staff officer and 

to review cooperation with the USG on key issues.  Schenone 

described the Gendarmeria's efforts to address increasing 

pressure from drug traffickers and to enhance the 

Gendarmeria's capacity to fight international crime.  He 

shared his interest in obtaining a number of military 

transport helicopters to assist GOA efforts to interdict drug 

traffickers in remote northern parts of the country and 

requested USG help in establishing an inter-agency 

counter-drug training center outside Buenos Aires and/or 

supporting construction of a permanent home for the Northern 

Border Task Force (NBTF) in Salta.  Ambassador described USG 

interest in supporting regional efforts to improve public 

security and commended the Gendarmeria for recent actions 

against drug and human trafficking.  End Summary. 

 

¶2. (U) Long-serving Gendarmeria Commanding General Hector 

Bernabe Schenone called March 4 on the Ambassador, ostensibly 

to introduce Principal Commander Claudio Larraburu, whom 

Schenone has entrusted with managing relations with the U.S. 

Embassy in counter drug affairs.   Ambassador was accompanied 

by Military Group Commander, DEA Special Agent, and Pol-Mil 

Officer (notetaker). 

 

¶3. (U) Ambassador voiced appreciation for recent successful 

operations by the Gendarmeria against drug traffickers and 

trafficking in persons (TIP) and noted the deep and 

successful training relationship between the DEA and Embassy 

Military Group and Gendarmeria counterparts.  The Ambassador 

observed that public security is a sub-theme at the upcoming 

Summit of the Americas and an issue that the USG perceives as 

important for the region.  He described the Merida Initiative 

with Mexico and underscored our recognition that countries in 

the region needed assistance in responding to drug 

trafficking and other manifestations of international crime. 

 

¶4. (U) The Ambassador also noted that, although Argentina's 

challenges on its northern and eastern borders were of a 

different nature and scale than those faced by Mexico, some 

aspects were similar, particularly the need for regional 

cooperation and coordination.  In that regard, the Ambassador 

shared our appreciation that the Gendarmeria's sister law 

enforcement agency, the Federal Police (PFA), had agreed to 

take over from Bolivia management of the regional Centers for 

Drug Information (CDI) network, supported by DEA. Ambassador 

mentioned an April 27-May 1 conference in Salta on the CDI 

and encouraged the Gendarmeria to be represented.  (Note: the 

conference is supported by DEA and State INCLE funds.) 

 

Request for Helos, a Building in Salta, and Training 

--------------------------------------------- ------- 

 

¶5. (C) Schenone thanked the Ambassador for his recognition of 

the Gendarmeria's work and of the challenges Argentina faced. 

 He said his forces had seized over 800 kilos of cocaine in 

February alone; Argentina clearly was facing new pressure by 

traffickers operating through Bolivia.  He noted that the 

Gendarmeria continued to have two officers present in La Paz 

and that on the professional level the organization was still 

working well with Bolivian counterparts.  Still, Schenone 

said that Argentina considered Bolivia a cocaine producing 

country, not just a trafficking country as the Government 

there would contend. 

 

¶6. (SBU) General Schenone said that the U.S. ""military"" 

training received by the Gendarmeria was highly valuable to 

the missions it was performing and included in this recent 

visits by Gendarmeria officers to the Jungle Training Course 

in Colombia.  He said that his civilian boss, Minister of 

Justice and Security Anibal Fernandez, was fully supportive 

of enhanced collaboration with the USG. 

 

¶7. (C) Schenone added that the Gendarmeria perceived a strong 

need to obtain air mobility in its fight against drug 

traffickers crossing the northern frontiers from Bolivia and 

Paraguay and landing at remote sites in Santa Fe, Santiago 

del Estero, and Chaco provinces.  He had in mind Bell UH1Hs, 

which would give his forces the capacity to put men on the 

ground at landing sites detected by radar or fixed wing 

aircraft.  He said that Minister Fernandez fully supported 

the proposal (without going into details about a procurement 

process or funding).  Schenone said his forces had six 

Eurocopters (Cougar) (and several smaller ""Pumas"") but not 

the versatility and capacity that Hueys could provide. 

 

¶8. (C) Schenone said that the Eastern Border Task Force 

(EBTF) in Misiones Province needed a new effort by the 

government to ramp up its program and interdiction efforts. 

He also described a need to build a dedicated counter-drug 

trafficking training center outside of Buenos Aires.  He said 

that U.S. support for such an effort would be welcomed.  In 

addition, he said, the Gendarmeria had land available in 

Salta that could support a permanent GOA-owned headquarters 

for the Northern Border Task Force (NBTF) if the USG could 

provide assistance. 

 

¶9. (SBU) Comment: Hueys would give the Gendarmeria an ability 

it does not presently have to insert itself on the ground 

more quickly at remote, clandestine landing strips.  Given 

the complex coordination (and additional radar coverage) 

needed to make such operations successful, this capacity 

might have limited real benefits, but it would change 

somewhat the calculation of risks that traffickers would need 

to consider.  If coordinated effectively with ground 

operations, it might lead to some seizures and arrests. 

Embassy will continue to gather details on how Gendarmeria 

might utilize such assets. 

 

¶10. (SBU) Embassy sees utility in contributing on a 

cost-sharing basis towards construction of a permanent home 

for the NBTF.  Currently the task force is housed in rented 

property funded by INCLE. 

 

WAYNE 


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