VZCZCXYZ0003
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBO #2030/01 1752202
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 242202Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9528
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 002030 
 
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 REPORT FOR MAY 2009 
 
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SUMMARY 
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¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  The Aerial Eradication program sprayed 10,895 
hectares in May, putting the program on schedule to reach the 
calendar goal of 100,000 hectares sprayed.  Due to enhanced 
communication and synchronization, Accion Social management agreed 
to remove previously established, large no-spray areas, thus opening 
additional work areas to aerial eradication.  Colombian manual 
eradication efforts eradicated a total of 17,099 hectares, incurring 
seven casualties with five security personnel killed (17 people have 
died in manual eradication operations in 2009).  PCHP flew 23.2 
hours supporting ten medical evacuation flights that transported 25 
patients.  Two COLAR pilots obtained certification in advanced crew 
qualification positions, marking progress toward nationalization 
efforts.  Cooperation on antinarcotics efforts between Venezuela and 
Colombia led to two large operations by Venezuelan armed forces in 
Venezuela.  On May 28, Colombian and U.S. officials inaugurated NAS 
Bogota-funded (US Army Corps of Engineers-supervised) USD 6M rural 
police training center in Pijaos, Tolima.  The Timbiqui indigenous 
community in Cauca claimed that spray operations occurred in their 
community on May 5 and that 40 people became ill as the result. 
After reviewing spray data, NAS confirmed that spray operations did 
not occur on this date.   END SUMMARY. 
 
-------------------------- 
AERIAL ERADICATION PROGRAM 
-------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) The Aerial Eradication team sprayed a total of 10,895 
hectares in May, in spite of the fact that 71 percent of scheduled 
sorties were cancelled due to poor weather.  The total hectares 
sprayed at each base follow: Cucuta, 586; San Jose, 4,906; and 
Tumaco, 5,403.  This brings the calendar year total for hectares of 
coca sprayed to 42,264, and puts the program on schedule to reach 
the calendar goal of 100,000 hectares sprayed.  Eradication aircraft 
experienced three hostile fire incidents during the month, resulting 
in nine impacts, bringing the total for the calendar year to ten 
hostile fire incidents with seventeen impacts. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Coordination continues to improve between the aerial 
eradication program and the GOC's Accion Social manual eradication 
effort.  Due to enhanced communication and synchronization, Accion 
Social management agreed to remove previously instituted, large 
no-spray areas, thus opening additional work areas to aerial 
eradication. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Student attendance at the AT-802 mechanic training is not 
improving - the students are regularly pulled from class to attend 
other courses or to attend to non-training related requirements. 
The aerial eradication program manager, NAU Colombian National 
Police (CNP) liaison, and NAS ARAVI (CNP Air Service Support) 
personnel are working with the ARAVI commander to ensure required 
attendance. 
 
-------------------------- 
MANUAL ERADICATION PROGRAM 
-------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Phase II of the GOC's 2009 manual eradication campaign (GME 
program) began in late May and will last until late July. The total 
eradication of coca for the month of May was 4,184 hectares - 
bringing the GME program's year-to-date total to 14,089 hectares. 
Including eradication carried out by the Colombian security forces, 
total coca eradication through May was 17,099 hectares.  Manual 
eradication operations are ongoing in seven departments but will 
expand to additional departments as insertion of manual eradicators 
continues during Phase II.  The majority of GMEs are working in the 
traditional coca growing regions of Putumayo, Antioquia, Meta and 
Narino. 
¶6. (SBU) In May, landmine and hostile fire incidents killed five 
security personnel and injured two others.  In one incident, four 
soldiers protecting GMEs were killed by a landmine in the department 
of Antioquia.  Through May, 17 people (14 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. 
 
¶7. (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 May, COLAR had 
eradicated 2,198 hectares of coca, 37 hectares of poppy, and two 
hectares of marijuana; the CNP had eradicated 649 hectares of coca, 
three hectares of poppy and 31 hectares of marijuana; and the Navy 
had eradicated 163 hectares of coca. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
PLAN COLOMBIA HELICOPTER PROGRAM (PCHP) 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) PCHP aircraft flew a total of 657.9 hours in May.  PCHP 
aircraft operated from Tumaco, San Jose, Larandia, Cucuta, and 
Tolemaida performing air assaults and movements, reconnaissance, 
medical evacuations, and support missions for the Counterdrug (CD) 
Brigade and other vetted COLAR units.  Air assaults continued to be 
an effective means of increasing security for aerial eradication 
spray operations and counternarcotics interdiction operations 
conducted by BACNA units of the CD Brigade.  PCHP flew 23.2 hours 
supporting ten medical evacuation flights that transported 25 
patients. 
 
¶9. (SBU) The PCHP program provided training for the UH-60 and UH-II 
aircrews.  Two COLAR pilots obtained certification in advanced crew 
qualification positions as Standardization Instructor Pilot and 
Standardization Maintenance Test Pilot, respectively, marking 
another significant advance in the program's nationalization. 
 
------------------------------ 
COLOMBIA NATIONAL POLICE (CNP) AIR SERVICE (ARAVI) SUPPORT 
------------------------------ 
 
¶10. (SBU) ARAVI's USG-supported fleet flew 2,085 mission hours in 
May.  The seven UH-60 Black Hawks flew 250 hours with an Operational 
Readiness (OR) rate of 68 percent.  The Bell 212 fleet flew 210 
mission hours with an OR rate of 64 percent; two Bell 212s still 
need to be inducted to the Service Life Extension Program/Rewire. 
The Huey II OR rate was 68 percent while flying 948 hours.  Two Huey 
II aircraft (six percent of the fleet) are currently in reassembly 
after undergoing extensive structural repairs.  The DC-3 fleet flew 
280 hours, with an OR rate of 49 percent. 
 
------------- 
INTERDICTION 
------------- 
 
¶11. (SBU) The CNP seized 24 metric tons of cocaine hydrochloride 
(HCl) and cocaine base, 11.68 metric tons of marijuana, and 33 
kilograms (kgs) of heroin.  The CNP also destroyed 32 cocaine HCl 
laboratories, 161 coca base laboratories, and captured 1,319 metric 
tons of precursor chemicals. 
 
¶12. (SBU) Highlights for May included the seizure of 10,800 gallons 
of solvent (precursor chemical) by the DIRAN (National Police 
Antinarcotics Division in its Spanish acronym) Villavicencio Company 
at a road check point near Puerto Lopez, Meta on May 2.  On May 6, 
the DIRAN Chemical Control Group seized 1.7 metric tons of sulfuric 
acid and 715 kgs of chloride acid at a control point near Cali.  On 
May 7, the Santa Marta Junglas destroyed a cocaine HCl laboratory 
containing ten kgs of cocaine and 567 kgs of cocaine base near San 
Carlos, Antioquia. On May 8, the DIRAN Chemical Control Group seized 
6.94 metric tons of sulfuric acid and one ton of carbon soda at a 
road check point south of Cali.  On May 10, the new DIRAN Northeast 
Zone destroyed one cocaine HCl laboratory and four base laboratories 
near Convencion, Norte de Santander; DIRAN destroyed over 830 kgs of 
cocaine.  On May 10-12, the Tulua Junglas destroyed 63 coca base 
laboratories near Tumaco, Narino.  On May 15, the Bogota Junglas 
participated in a joint CNP, Colombian Air Force and Colombian Army 
airmobile assault against the FARC 51st Front camp located 26 miles 
southwest of Melgar.  The CNP found five FARC KIAs and nine weapons 
at the camp.  On May 16, DIRAN seized twelve go-fast type boats in 
Bahia Solano, Choco.  On May 17, the DIRAN Chemical Control Group 
captured 15.33 metric tons of precursor chemicals at a road 
checkpoint near Medellin, Antioquia.  Also on May 17, DIRAN 
destroyed a cocaine HCl lab located near Puerto Nare, Antioquia.  On 
May 25, the Santa Marta Junglas seized a criminal band arms cache 
containing mortar rounds and small arms ammunition near Caucasia, 
Antioquia.  On May 27, the Bogota Junglas supported a CNP operation 
against the 57th Front leadership, while another Bogota Jungla 
element supported a CNP operation against the FARC 10 Front near 
Saravena, Arauca.  On May 28, the Bogota Junglas captured 100 kgs of 
cocaine at a road checkpoint in Bogota.  The Jungla Airmobile 
companies are providing 12-man reconnaissance and advisory elements 
to each of the six manual eradication sites managed by DIRAN. 
 
¶13. (SBU) On May 12, the DIRAN Regional Intelligence (Cucuta) shared 
intelligence with the Venezuelan National Guard Antidrug Command 
leading to the destruction of a cocaine HCl laboratory in Tachira, 
Venezuela containing 1.5 metric tons of cocaine.  On May 27, the 
DIRAN Regional Intelligence (Cucuta) again shared intelligence with 
the Venezuelan National Guard Antidrug  Command leading to the 
destruction (by the Venezuelan National Guard) of a major cocaine 
laboratory also located in Tachira.  This laboratory contained 222 
kgs of cocaine and 3.2 metric tons of cocaine base. 
 
¶14. (SBU) Several DIRAN courses are underway at the Antinarcotics 
Police Training Center in Pijaos, Tolima, including 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 includes 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 with 45 
students.  This course focuses on reconnaissance, military 
mountaineering and 60mm mortar training. 
 
¶15. (SBU) On May 28, the Colombian Minister of Defense Santos, 
Ambassador Brownfield, and Colombian National Police Director 
Naranjo conducted a ribbon cutting ceremony to inaugurate the NAS 
Bogota-funded (US Army Corps of Engineers-supervised) rural police 
training center in Pijaos, Tolima.  The USD 6M project has four 
104-man barracks, three 40-man classrooms, an administrative 
building, a parade field, a warehouse and a kitchen/dining facility. 
 
 
------------------------------- 
BASE SECURITY/ROAD INTERDICTION 
------------------------------- 
 
¶16. (SBU) Upon completion of the one-month Base Defense course in 
San Jose de Guaviare that graduated 42 personnel on April 3, the 
focus shifted to Tumaco where a six-week course will begin on June 
¶29.  This course will have 45 students from various DIRAN, EMCAR and 
BRACNA units. 
 
¶17. (SBU) The parties modified the IDIQ (indefinite 
amount/indefinite quantity) Bastion Wall contract for the project at 
San Jose de Guaviare (completed on January 15) to include the 
installation of three two-story bunker facilities.  The La Julia 
project began on May 18; the Miraflores project begun in March 
continued through the month of May.  ACS is the primary contractor 
for San Jose del Guaviare and La Julia, and DSS/LLC is the primary 
contractor for Miraflores. 
 
¶18. (SBU) NAS NVD advisor, Carabinero and Jungla inspectors and 
maintenance supervisors inspected, serviced and delivered 110 mine 
detectors in time for the re-initiation of the manual eradication 
efforts.  Regular inspections of NVDs continued at El Dorado, 
Guaymaral, Facatativa, Espinal, Pijaos, Cespo, Larandia, Santa 
Marta, Tulua and DITRA.  The program's managers ensured that all of 
the 185 NVDs purchased for DICAR in February were inspected, 
certified, and delivered to the appropriate DICAR units. 
 
--------------------------- 
PORT SECURITY PROGRAM (PSP) 
--------------------------- 
 
¶19. (SBU) In May, DIRAN's Ports and Airports Area (ARPAE) unit 
seized 426 kgs of cocaine at the Port of Buenaventura.  The same 
unit reported 620 kgs to USG authorities that were seized in Panama; 
10.4 kgs of cocaine at the Port of Santa Marta; 16.56 kgs of 
marijuana and 32.5 kgs (bulk weight) of cocaine at the Port of San 
Andres; 30 kgs of cocaine (bulk weight) at the airport of Palmira 
(Cali); 1.5 kgs of heroin, 18.8 kgs of marijuana and 1.9 kgs of 
cocaine at the airport of Rionegro (Medellin); and 186.26 kgs of 
cocaine (bulk weight), 2.6 kgs of heroin and 40 kgs of marijuana at 
the Bogota airport.  The same unit reported 630 kgs to Mexican 
authorities that were seized at the Mexico City airport.  Canine 
Units participated in five of the seizures above. 
 
¶20. (SBU) The DIRAN polygraph unit conducted polygraph exams on 64 
members of the DIRAN's Interdiction, Administrative, and Ports and 
Airports units and supported the Internal Control Group activities 
on specific cases.  43 of those tested passed the exam, 17 failed, 
and four had inconclusive results.  ICE polygraphists tested six 
members of this unit - two of them passed, one failed, one was 
inconclusive ,and two need to be reviewed by the DOD's Polygraph 
Institute. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
COLOMBIAN ARMY COUNTERDRUG (CD) BRIGADE 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶21. (SBU) CD Brigade's Second and Third Battalions continue to 
directly support aerial eradication and conduct interdiction and 
combat operations with FOLs in Tumaco, Narino, and Cucuta Norte de 
Santander.  In May, the battalions conducted operations against the 
FARC's Daniel Aldana Mobil Column, Arturo Ruiz Mobil Column and the 
30 Front in Roberto Payan Narino, Lopez de Micay Narino, and La 
Tarra Norte de Santander.  The brigade secured a total of 10,895 
hectares in support of aerial eradication.  During various 
operations, the battalions located and destroyed 359 kgs of coca 
paste, 11 gallons of liquid cocaine, 10 coca paste labs, six enemy 
camps; and seized six enemy weapons and drug caches, 5,990 gallons 
of liquid precursors, 1,918 kgs of solid precursors, 29 rifles, 48 
hand grenades, five sub machine guns, three machine guns, one 
mortar, eight pistols, 5,796 rounds of ammunition, eight shotguns, 
384 kgs of explosives, 2,280 meters of detonation fuse, 2,680 of 
detonation cord, and two FARC computers.  The battalions killed four 
enemy combatants during operations.  During combat operations, two 
soldiers were killed and four wounded. 
 
--------------------------------- 
INDIVIDUAL DEMOBILIZATION PROGRAM 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶22.  (SBU) The Ministry of Defense's (MOD) demobilization program 
received more than 1,200 individuals through May 31, a decrease of 
approximately 15-20 percent compared to the same period in 2008. 
Reasons for this may be reduced total illegal group membership, 
possible controls or countermeasures on members to avoid escape, 
relative absence of a communications budget, and/or other 
unidentified factors.  Program leadership has begun a focus group to 
identify areas for improvement in an attempt to jump start desertion 
rates.  While overall rates were down, ELN (National Liberation Army 
in its Spanish acronym) desertion rates increased in part due to a 
targeted communications strategy.  Large budget shortfalls have been 
overcome allowing the MOD to execute contracts with local radio 
stations communicating the demobilization message deep into the 
countryside.  Additionally, the MOD has restarted payments to 
individuals to reward them for information, to prevent illegal 
recruitments, and to provide psychological assistance to those who 
demobilize. 
 
¶23. (SBU) More than 60 percent of the demobilized members of illegal 
armed groups state that their motivations for desertion are abuse by 
their commanders and/or pressure from military operations; looking 
for a new way of life and ideological differences also play into the 
decisions to desert.  Information provided by the demobilized is 
still one of the best sources of intelligence available to Colombian 
security forces. 
 
------------- 
ENVIRONMENTAL 
------------- 
 
¶24.  (SBU) In May, the interagency complaints committee received 132 
new claims of alleged spray damage to legal crops and 113 cases were 
closed.  We concluded payment to eight complainants for an 
approximate total of USD 15,465.  Since the beginning of the program 
in 2001, 138 complainants have been compensated with a total of 
approximately USD 617,230. 
 
¶25.  (SBU) The Timbiqui indigenous community in Cauca claimed that 
spray operations occurred in their community on May 5 and that 40 
people became ill as the result.  The National Institute of Health 
(INS) visited the community on May 9, and examined those who were 
willing to undergo the medical exam with a local nurse.  The nurses 
collected bodily fluid samples and INS sent them to a laboratory in 
Costa Rica for analysis; we are waiting for the results.  After 
reviewing spray data, NAS confirmed that spray operations did not 
occur on this date. 
 
¶26.  (SBU) The antinarcotics police from the complaint and 
verification departments started training on the high resolution ADS 
aerial mapping camera recently installed in the NAS ARAVI-supported 
C-208 Caravan.  This camera will be used for verification and 
detection missions, and to verify crop damage complaints.  The use 
of this camera should decrease the resources and time devoted to 
conducting verification missions, and increase the time to verify 
crop damages allegedly caused by spray operations. 
 
BROWNFIELD