VZCZCXYZ0001
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBO #1855/01 1611349
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 101349Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9125
INFO RHEHOND/DIR ONDCP WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL//SCJ2/SCJ3/SCJ5//
RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHDC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF STATE AIR WING PATRICK AFB FL

UNCLAS BOGOTA 001855 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR INL/LP AND INL/RM 
DEPT FOR WHA/AND 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR SENV KCRM PTER CO
SUBJECT: NAS MONTHLY w5a hectares, with poor 
weather impeding timely progress toward the annual spray goal. 
Manual eradication campaign participants eradicated 6,882 hectares 
of coca, incurring four deaths.  The CD Brigade, ports security 
offices, and various Colombian National Police members captured 
 
important narcotraffickers and seized weapons, illegal drugs, and 
destroyed drug-making laboratories and equipment.  Efforts continued 
to coordinate USAID and eradication projects.  The 19 verification 
mission for aerial eradication took place from March 24-April 2 in 
Antioquia, Cordoba, Bolivar, Narino, Cauca, Meta and Guaviare.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
------------------- 
AERIAL ERADICATION 
------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) A total of 8,169 hectares were sprayed during April. 
Extremely poor weather continued to affect spray production for the 
month, with both spray packages cancelling 76 percent of their 
scheduled sorties.  During the calendar year, a total of 31,369 
hectares of coca have been sprayed through April.  Eradication 
aircraft were involved in one hostile fire incident during April, 
resulting in zero impacts, bringing the total for the calendar year 
to seven hostile fire incidents with eight impacts. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Active CD Brigade support in conjunction with PCHP 
aviation assets helped to ensure zero hostile events and impacts 
while operating in two regions notorious for historically high 
numbers of impacts in the past.  Spray operations in Tumaco have 
been carried out while coordinating with the manual eradication 
effort.  Due to unseasonably poor weather, aerial eradication was 
1,715 hectares behind the schedule to meet the 100,000 hectare 
annual spray goal.  Aerial eradication remains flexible, adjusting 
to the weather situation and surging whenever possible to take full 
advantage of limited windows of good weather. 
 
------------------- 
MANUAL ERADICATION 
------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Phase I of the GOC's 2009 manual eradication campaign (GME 
program) began in mid-March and will end in mid-May.  Total 
eradication of coca for the month of April was 6,882 hectares - 
bringing the GME program's year-to-date total to 9,887 hectares. 
Including eradication carried out by the Colombian security forces, 
total coca eradication through April was 12,060 hectares.  The GOC's 
2009 manual eradication goal is 70,000 hectares.  Manual eradication 
operations are ongoing in eight departments with the majority of 
GMEs in the traditional coca growing regions of Putumayo, Antioquia, 
Meta and Narino.  Due to reduced availability of security personnel 
to protect GMEs and logistical issues, the pace of manual 
eradication in 2009 has been slower compared to 2008.  In April, 
landmine and hostile fire incidents killed two security personnel 
and two eradicators.  Through April, 12 people (nine security 
personnel and three civilians) have died during this year's manual 
eradication operations.  In all of 2008, 26 security personnel and 
civilian eradicators were killed in manual eradication operations. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Separate from the GME program, the Colombian Army (COLAR) 
and the Colombian National Police (CNP) conducted manual eradication 
as part of their normal operations.  Through the end of March, COLAR 
had eradicated 1,499 hectares of coca, 33 hectares of poppy, and one 
hectare of marijuana; the CNP has eradicated 510 hectares of coca, 
three hectares of poppy and 22 hectares of marijuana; and the Navy 
164 hectares of coca. 
 
----------------------------- 
COLOMBIA NATIONAL POLICE (CNP) 
AIR SERVICE (ARAVI) SUPPORT 
----------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) ARAVI's NAS-supported fleet flew 1,755 mission hours in 
April.  The UH-60 Black Hawks closed out the month with 200 flight 
hours and an Operational Readiness (OR) rate of 68 percent.  The 
Bell 212 fleet flew 184 mission hours with an OR rate of 60 percent. 
 The Huey II OR rate was 69 percent while flying 868 hours.  Two 
Huey II aircraft, or six percent of the fleet, are currently 
undergoing depot maintenance for structural repairs.  The DC-3 fleet 
flew 268 hours in April, with an OR rate of 47 percent; one DC-3 is 
undergoing a 2,000 hour inspection.  NAS should receive the last of 
the C-26 Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance Aerial Platform 
(ISRAP) PNC 0224s in June 2009. 
 
------------ 
INTERDICTION 
------------ 
 
¶7.  (SBU) The CNP seized 7,132 metric tons of cocaine hydrochloride 
(HCl) and cocaine base, 42.9 metric tons of marijuana, and 177 
kilograms (kgs) of heroin.  The CNP also destroyed 14 cocaine HCl 
labs, 128 coca base labs, and captured 481.4 metric tons of 
precursor chemicals. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Highlights for April included the capture of Daniel "Don 
Mario" Rendsn Herrera, Colombia's most-wanted narcotrafficker. 
During April 9-15, tQ1Q9Q2 x Bell 212's, 1 x 
UH-2, and 1 x C-26 Intelligence Platform).  The Junglas initially 
cordoned off a 15-kilometer square area and by employing SIGINT and 
HUMINT to focus the search and narrow down the zone, helped to make 
the capture near Uraba, Antioquia (Northwest Colombia).  On April 
17, the DIRAN Heroin Group captured three kgs of heroin hidden in a 
food package mailed from Pasto to Cucuta.  On April 18, the new 
DIRAN Northeast Zone Five destroyed two cocaine HCl laboratories 
containing 220 kgs of cocaine, 4,037 gallons of liquid and 890 kgs 
of solid precursors near Cucuta, Norte de Santander.  On April 19, 
the Tulua Jungla Airmobile Company, accompanied by an informant, 
captured 97.8 kgs of heroin hidden in a mountaintop cache site in 
Buesaca, Narino.  On April 25, the Bogota Jungla Airmobile Company 
(70 Junglas, 3 x UH60s, 1 x C26 Intelligence Platform), in 
conjunction with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), 
conducted a well-executed high value target (HVT) operation near 
Puerto Boyac in Magdalena Medio against a major narcotrafficker, 
but without success.  The Bogota Junglas conducted follow-on 
missions in the area, destroying a cocaine HCl laboratory and 
uncovering a cache site with 12 kgs of cocaine.  On April 27, the 
DIRAN Chemical Group reacting to signal intercepts, captured 1.5 
metric tons of precursor chemicals being transported in a truck from 
Medellin to Norte de Santander.  On April 27 - May 2, the Bogota 
Junglas (30 Junglas, 2 x UH60s) deployed to Mitu, Vaupes to conduct 
interdiction operations against clandestine airfields near Brazil 
and Venezuela borders.  On April 28, the DIRAN Heroin Control Group 
captured eight narcotraffickers, six kgs of heroin, and three kgs of 
cocaine being transported by a go-fast boat from Colombia to San 
Felipe, Panama.  On April 29, the DIRAN Chemical Control Group 
captured 1.37 metric tons of precursor chemicals being transported 
in a tractor trailer from Cali to Buenaventura.  The Jungla 
Airmobile companies have been providing 12-man reconnaissance and 
advisory elements to each of the six Manual Eradication sites 
managed by DIRAN. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) Several DIRAN courses were underway at the Rural 
Antinarcotics Police Training Center in Pijaos, Tolima to include 
the 23-week Combat Medic Course (40 students), the eight-week 
Explosives and Demolitions Course (45 students), and the 18-week 
Jungla International Course (106 students).  The Jungla 
International Course included 57 Colombian students and 49 foreign 
students from 12 Latin American countries (Haiti, Jamaica, Dominican 
Republic, Belize, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, 
Peru, Argentina, and Brazil).  The six-week US Army 7 Special Forces 
Group's course "Pequenas Unidades" began on April 27 (45 students); 
this course provides training on reconnaissance, military 
mountaineering and 60mm mortar. 
 
--------------------- 
MARITIME INTERDICTION 
--------------------- 
 
¶10.  (SBU) In a joint April 15 operation in Buenaventura, DAS 
(Department of Security Administration in its Spanish acronym) and 
Colombian Coast Guard inspected a tourist boat and seized 390 
packages of cocaine.  During a separate operation on the same day, a 
unit working with the Colombian Coast Guard from Tumaco inspected a 
200HP boat and seized 610 gallons of fuel that was going to be used 
in an HCl laboratory.  On April 24, the Colombian Coast Guard from 
Buenaventura, with air support from Colombian Navy (ARC 802), 
captured a go-fast with three 200HP motors and seized 1,098 kgs of 
cocaine, one M16 with 71 rounds, one HF radio, one GPS, one 
satellite phone; the Coast Guard captured four men. 
 
------------------------------- 
BASE SECURITY/ROAD INTERDICTION/ 
NVD PROGRAM 
------------------------------- 
 
¶11.  (SBU) The one-month Base Defense course in San Jose de Guaviare 
that began on February 18 continued through the month of March and 
graduated 42 personnel on April 3.  The course was conducted at the 
antinarcotics and included DIRAN personnel from the base, 
Carabineros from the Guaviare and Vichada Departments, and eight 
members of the Joaquin Paris battalion of the Colombian Army.  In 
total, the course renovated 10 perimeter wall bunkers that are tied 
into 2,000 meters of bastion walls. 
 
¶12.  (SBU) The Bastion Wall project at San Jose de Guaviare that was 
completed on January 15 was modified to include the installation of 
three two-story bunker facilities.  The Miraflores project that 
began at the end of March is two-thirds done. 
 
¶13.  (SBU) The operational portion of the Joint/Combined Interagency 
Operation Firewall which began in March continued throughout April. 
Colombian participants have included the Military Forces of the 
Navy, Coast Guard, Marines, Air Force  and the Police Forces from 
the Carabineros, Junglas and DIRAN Aviation.  The US participants 
included the DEA, MILGP, NAS and JIATF-S. 
 
-------------------- 
Counter-Drug Brigade 
-------------------- 
 
¶14.  CD Brigade's Second and Third Battalions continued to support 
aerial eradication and conducted interdiction and combat operations 
with operational bases in Tumaco, Nario and Cucuta, Norte de 
Santander.  The First Battalion conducted light infantry and air 
assault training in Larandia, Caqueta; the Long Range Reconnaissance 
Platoon attended and graduated from a survival course in Tabatinga, 
Brasil.  Second and Third Battalions conducted interdiction and 
combat operations agaQWQM:!g%l of 8,168 hectares during 
aerial eradication missions; located and destroyed four HCl 
laboratories, three enemy camps, two enemy caches; seized 21 kgs of 
coca paste, 6,885 gallons of liquid precursors, 4,275 gallons of 
solid precursors, 266 kgs of coca leaf being processed, 15 
microwaves, seven  used to process cocaine, and one generator. 
During combat operations, the battalions confiscated 17 rifles, 
eight pistols, two revolvers, 23 hand grenades, two submachine guns, 
one homemade grenade launcher, and 15 homemade mortar tubes.  The 
battalions killed one and captured 19 narcoterrorists.  Three 
soldiers were wounded during operations. 
 
--------------------------- 
PORT SECURITY PROGRAM (PSP) 
--------------------------- 
 
¶16.  (SBU) DIRAN's Ports and Airports Area (ARPAE) unit seized 2.5 
metric tons of cocaine (net weight) at the Port of Buenaventura; 110 
kgs (bulk weight) at the Port of Santa Marta; 10 kgs of marijuana 
(net weight)at the Port of Cartagena; 10.9 kgs of cocaine (net 
weight) at the Port of Uraba; 16.4 kgs of cocaine (bulk weight) at 
the Port of San Andrs; 4.7 kgs of cocaine, 1.3 kgs of heroin and 
USD 3,000 that were not declared at the airport of Rionegro; 1.1 kgs 
of cocaine (net weight) at the airport of Cartagena; two kgs of 
cocaine (net weight) at the airport of Barranquilla; and almost 200 
kgs of cocaine (bulk weight), 7.4 kgs of heroin (bulk weight), 59 
kgs of marijuana (net weight), 400,000 fake Colombian pesos 
(approximately USD 190), 2,950 fake euros, USD 36,920 that were not 
declared, and  fabricated USD 10,200 at El Dorado airport in Bogota. 
 The Canine Units participated in four of the seizures mentioned 
above, including in the seizure of the 2.5 metric tons of cocaine in 
Buenaventura. 
 
¶17.  (SBU) The DIRAN polygraph unit (that participated in the CNP 
Standardization Process that NAS/ICE are supporting) conducted 
polygraph exams on 42 members of the DIRAN's Interdiction, Aviation, 
and Ports and Airports units and supported the Internal Control 
Group activities on specific cases.  28 of those examined passed the 
test and 14 failed. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
REESTABLISH POLICE PRESENCE PROGRAM (CARABINEROS) 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶18.  (SBU) In light of complaints from the Departmental commanders 
on the decline in security when units pull out to support other 
missions or train, the Carabineros Directorate (DICAR) began a 
complete review of the utilization of squadrons to find ways to 
accomplish special missions and still maintain security in the 
departments. 
 
¶19.  (SBU) There is presently only one search block operating with 
direct DICAR involvement, located in the Cordoba/Antioquia area. 
Responsibility for the other search blocks has been turned over to 
either the departmental or regional commanders to ensure flexibility 
and rapid response to emerging challenges. 
 
¶20.  (SBU) In April, the Carabineros captured 145 people (one 
FARC/ELN, seven Emerging Criminal Bands, and 137 common criminals); 
seized 111 weapons, 1,558 gallons of liquid precursors, 23,352 kgs 
of solid precursors, 160 kgs of cocaine and cocaine base, 340 kgs of 
marijuana, and 18 fragmentation grenades.  The squadrons deactivated 
eight improvised explosive devices; destroyed 22 labs and five 
seedbeds; captured three caches and destroyed five camps.  Not 
counting the manual eradication teams, the squadrons eradicated 67 
hectares of coca during normal operations. 
 
-------------- 
ENVIRONMENTAL 
------------- 
 
¶21.  (SBU) In April, the interagency complaints committee received 
three new claims of alleged spray damage to legal crops and 113 
cases were closed.  NAS Bogota concluded payment to 13 complainants 
to total approximately USD 59,365; and started payments for 11 
people in Putumayo that will total approximately USD 12,237.  As of 
April 30, we have compensated 130 complainants totaling 
approximately USD 561,026. 
¶22.  (SBU) The 19 verification mission for aerial eradication took 
place from March 24-April 2 in Antioquia, Cordoba, Bolivar, Narino, 
Cauca, Meta and Guaviare.  Due to the security situation near 
Putumayo and Caqueta we were unable to complete the mission, however 
NAS has rescheduled this portion for May 13-15. 
 
BROWNFIELD