VZCZCXYZ0007
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBO #2698/01 2361955
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 241955Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0314
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
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA 7979
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 2680
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 8638
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 9085
RUEHZP/AMEMBASSY PANAMA 4105

UNCLAS BOGOTA 002698 
 
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 JULY 2009 
 
------- 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  The following developments occurred in July, 
2009: The aerial eradication team sprayed 10,576 hectares (ha) and, 
with 57,219 ha sprayed so far this year, is on track to reach the 
100,000 ha calendar goal.  Total manual coca eradication through 
July was 28,739 ha.  The GOC is taking various measures to increase 
manual eradication production in an attempt to reach the 70,000 ha 
goal for the year.  Landmine and hostile fire incidents killed four 
security personnel and three civilian eradicators; so far, 28 
personnel have died in 2009 during manual eradication operations. 
Plan Colombia Helicopter Program (PCHP) flew 13 hours supporting six 
medical evacuation flights transporting a total of eight patients. 
PCHP supported three Chief of Mission High Value Target (HVT) Joint 
Task Force operations. In one mission, Colombian forces severely 
impacted Mono Jojoy's security ring and captured Swedish-made, 
Venezuelan antitank weapons.  Hostile fire killed one PCHP gunner 
and injured another.  ARAVI's NAS-supported fleet flew 2,047 mission 
hours during the month.  The Counter Drug (CD) Brigade secured a 
total of 9,388 ha for aerial eradication missions.  One CD Brigade 
officer was killed in action.  In July, the interagency complaints 
committee received 1,020 new claims of alleged spray damage to legal 
crops; the majority of the claims originated from the same area in 
Narino.  END SUMMARY. 
 
-------------------------- 
AERIAL ERADICATION PROGRAM 
-------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Aircraft based in Forward Operating Locations (FOLs) in 
Tumaco, San Jose del Guaviare, and Carimagua/Cumaribo sprayed a 
total of 10,576 hectares (ha) in July.  A total of 7,340 ha were 
sprayed out of Tumaco; 1,706 ha out of San Jose del Guaviare; and 
1,530 ha out of Carimagua/Cumaribo.  The aerial eradication team has 
sprayed 57,219 ha so far this year, and is on track to reach the 
100,000 ha calendar year goal.  Eradication aircraft experienced one 
hostile fire incident during the month, resulting in one impact.  So 
far this year, the aircraft have been involved in 13 hostile fire 
incidents with 21 impacts; no one has been wounded or killed as a 
result of these incidents. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Macarena Consolidation Program officials (PCIM) and the 
Antinarcotics Police (DIRAN) have discussed with NAS the possibility 
of opening up the far southern portion of the PCIM to spray.  The 
PCIM was declared a no-spray zone in mid-2008 to accommodate 
Colombian consolidation plans in the area, including voluntary 
eradication.  [NOTE: In August, GOC and NAS Aviation Unit (NAU) 
received written permission to spray in the far southern area of the 
PCIM which has an estimated 800-1,200 ha of coca.  END NOTE.] 
 
-------------------------- 
MANUAL ERADICATION PROGRAM 
-------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Manual eradication operations were ongoing in 11 
departments.  Phase III of the GOC's 2009 manual eradication 
campaign (GME program) will begin in early August.  Total 
eradication of coca for July was 4,916 ha, bringing the GME 
program's year-to-date total to 24,531 ha.  Including eradication 
carried out by the Colombian security forces, total coca eradication 
through July was 28,739 ha, short of the pace to reach the 70,000 ha 
manual eradication goal for 2009.  The GOC's eradication goal for 
Phase III is 22,000 hectares, more than double the hectares 
eradicated during Phase II.  To increase the pace of eradication 
during Phase III, the GOC plans to have upwards of 200 GMEs in the 
field pulling up coca (compared to just over 100 GMEs during Phases 
I and II).  The DIRAN has also created two temporary police 
companies and enlisted the support of several other police units to 
provide security for manual eradicators for Phase III. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) In July, landmine and hostile fire incidents killed four 
Colombian security personnel and three civilian eradicators.  In one 
incident, three soldiers and three civilian eradicators were killed 
by hostile fire when their boat was fired upon in the Department of 
Choco in Northwestern Colombia.  Through July, 28 people (20 
security personnel, seven civilians, and a UN topographer) have died 
during this year's manual eradication operations (four security 
personnel were killed in a helicopter accident).  In all of 2008, 26 
security personnel and civilian eradicators were killed. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Separate from the GME program, the Colombian Army (COLAR) 
and the Colombian National Police (CNP) conduct manual eradication 
as part of their normal operations.  Through July, COLAR had 
eradicated 3,081 ha of coca, 44 ha of poppy and two ha of marijuana, 
and the CNP had eradicated 963 ha of coca, six ha of poppy and 46 ha 
of marijuana. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
PLAN COLOMBIA HELICOPTER PROGRAM (PCHP) 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU) PCHP aircraft operated from Tumaco, Cumaribo, San Jose and 
Tolemaida bases and flew a total of 786 hours providing air 
assaults, air movements, reconnaissance, medical evacuations, and 
support missions for the CD Brigade and other vetted COLAR units. 
PCHP helicopters conducted an air assault mission with BACNA 2 and 
DEA on drug laboratories northeast of the Tumaco, Narino, and 
interdicting three laboratories and seizing large quantities of 
gasoline and coca leave; three persons were captured.  PCHP flew 13 
hours supporting six medical evacuation flights that transported 
eight patients.  Three COLAR Gunners were qualified as 
standardization instructors. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) PCHP supported three Chief of Mission High Value Target 
(HVT) Joint Task Force operations.  On July 13, from Cumaribo, 
Vichada, PCHP supported Joint Special Operation "Jubilo" with 3 x 
UH-60s and 2 x UH-II gunships.  A combined airlift task force 
inserted over 300 troops on an arms cache target east of Barranco 
Minas.  During another mission, PCHP deployed 2 x UH-60 and 3 x 
UH-II gunships from Tumaco to Bahia Malaga, on the Pacific coast, 
and inserted 30 Colombian Army Special Forces near a 
narcotrafficking site northeast of Buenaventura.  While the 
principal target was not found, the complex mission showed Colombian 
force projection into a very difficult area.  During a third HVT 
operation on July 23, the principal target, FARC 43 Front Commander 
Negro Alberto, and 18 members of his staff (two of them members of 
his senior staff) were killed in action, dealing a major blow to 
Mono Jojoy's security forces.  The Colombian Special Forces seized 
personal effects for 70 people, electronic and hard copy documents, 
as well as nine Swedish anti-tank rocket launchers that had been 
originally sold to Venezuela by Sweden in a registered arms deal. 
[NOTE:  The capture of these anti-tank rockets became a source of an 
international polemic when Sweden confirmed that it had sold these 
weapons to Venezuela in an arms deal.  END NOTE.] 
 
¶9.  (SBU) COLAR (Colombian Army) aircrew flying PCHP aircraft 
sustained two casualties in July.  During the extraction phase of 
the counternarcotics mission supporting a BACNA 3 operation near 
Larandia, one UH-II gunship received three enemy hits and the gunner 
was wounded in the lower leg.  A combined task force attacked a 
target believed to be a part of the FARC Secretariat's security 
forces in the Meta department.  During the air assault phase of the 
operation, the lift aircraft came under enemy fire and a PCHP UH-II 
helicopter gunship's COLAR Gunner was killed. 
 
----------------------------- 
COLOMBIA NATIONAL POLICE (CNP) AIR SERVICE (ARAVI) SUPPORT 
----------------------------- 
 
¶10.  (SBU) ARAVI's NAS-supported fleet flew 2,047 mission hours in 
July.  The seven UH-60 Black Hawks closed out the month with 180 
flight hours and an Operational Readiness (OR) rate of 64 percent. 
Two UH-60s are undergoing depot maintenance after hostile impacts 
during interdiction operations.  The Bell 212 fleet flew 236 mission 
hours with an OR rate of 60 percent.  One Bell 212 still needs to be 
inducted into the Service Life Extension Program/Rewire.  The Huey 
II OR rate was 67 percent while flying 1,032 hours.  Four Huey II 
aircraft, or twelve percent of the fleet, are currently undergoing 
depot maintenance for structural repairs. 
 
¶11.  (SBU) The DC-3 fleet flew 318 hours in July, with an OR rate of 
47 percent; two DC-3s are undergoing a 2,000-hour inspection.  The 
last C-26 Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Aerial 
Platform (ISRAP) PNC 0224 is expected to be delivered in late August 
or early September. 
 
------------ 
INTERDICTION 
------------ 
 
¶12.  (SBU) During July, the CNP seized 7.9 metric tons of cocaine 
hydrochloride (HCl) and cocaine base, 20.3 metric tons of coca leaf, 
4.6 metric tons of marijuana, and 12 kilograms (kgs) of heroin.  The 
CNP also destroyed 13 cocaine HCl laboratories, 180 coca base 
laboratories, and captured 443 metric tons of precursor chemicals. 
 
¶13.  (SBU) The Bogota Junglas (CNP Airmobile Commandos) hit an HCl 
laboratory near Cucuta, near the Venezuelan border on July 15.  On 
July 17, DIRAN Cucuta also seized two kgs of heroin at a road 
checkpoint in Cucuta.  The DIRAN Cucuta Commander has observed that 
narcotraffickers are erecting HCl laboratories straddling the 
Venezuela border.  In a few cases, the HCl laboratory complex is 
actually split, the HCl laboratory is built on the Colombian side, 
while the barracks, kitchen, and precursor storage is placed on the 
Venezuelan side.  The DIRAN Cucuta Commander has developed a working 
relationship with his counterpart Venezuelan antinarcotics units. 
 
¶14.  (SBU) On July 2 near Retorno, Guaviare, the Bogota Junglas 
destroyed 12 coca base laboratories containing 171 kgs of coca base, 
3.4 metric tons of coca leaf, and 10,567 gallons of precursor 
chemicals.  On July 6, the DIRAN Heroin Group seized 262.9 kgs of 
cocaine at a vehicle checkpoint near Lorica, Cordoba.  On July 7, 
the DIRAN Chemical Control Group seized 2.8 metric tons of precursor 
chemicals at a road checkpoint near Medellin.  On July 7 near Puerto 
Gaitan, Meta, the Bogota Junglas destroyed a coca base laboratory 
containing 12 kgs of coca base.  On July 8, the DIRAN Heroin Group 
seized 98.12 kgs of cocaine and a vehicle, and captured two men at a 
road checkpoint near Villarica, Cauca.  On July 9, the DIRAN Money 
Laundering Group captured Gustavo Pabon, a member of the Fabio Ochoa 
narcotrafficking group wanted for extradition to the United States. 
On July 10-13, The Bogota Junglas destroyed two HCl laboratories 
north of San Jose del Guaviare and one HCl laboratory in Magdalena 
Medio.  On July 14, the DIRAN Chemical Group captured 7.73 metric 
tons of precursor chemicals at a road checkpoint near Cali.  On July 
15, the DIRAN Chemical Group seized 6.6 metric tons of precursor 
chemicals and two trucks, and captured three men at a road 
checkpoint near Aguachica, Cesar. 
 
¶15.  (SBU) On July 17-18, the Tulua Junglas conducted operations to 
hit a series of six cocaine HCl laboratories located near the 
high-threat FARC 6 Front area near Corinto, Cauca.  The Colombian 
Air Force provided air cover (2 x ARPIAs, 1 x AC47) to escort the 
Jungla airmobile element.  The Tulua Junglas destroyed a major 
precursor chemical storage cache during this operation, but were 
forced to abort the operation when the FARC ground fire hit the lead 
UH-60.  On July 27, the Bogota Junglas destroyed four coca base 
laboratories containing 36 kgs of cocaine base and 2.8 metric tons 
of precursor chemicals near Puerto Lleras, Meta.  On July 30, the 
Santa Marta Junglas destroyed a 1,600-meter clandestine airstrip in 
the Magdalena department.  On July 30, the Bogota Junglas destroyed 
a cocaine HCl laboratory in the Magdalena Medio region, finding 100 
kgs of cocaine being processed at the site.  On July 31, the DIRAN 
Chemical Group captured three metric tons of precursor chemicals at 
a road checkpoint in Bajo Cauca, Antioquia.  On the same day, the 
Bogota Junglas attempted an HVT mission against the FARC 6th Front 
leadership, however, the airmobile assault force discovered that the 
FARC camp had moved days prior to the attack.  Also on the same day, 
the Santa Marta Junglas engaged "Don Mario's" (Daniel Rendon's) 
remaining members when the Junglas deployed 45 men to Monteria, 
Cordoba for 60 days to support the CNP's Search Block ("Bloque de 
Busqueda").  Also on July 31, the DIRAN Cucuta Company hit an HCl 
laboratory near Villa de Rosario, Norte de Santander, destroying 
seven rustic structures, and seizing 80 kgs of coca base. 
 
¶16.  (SBU) Mark Lopes, the Senior Advisor to Senator Robert Menendez 
(NJ), visited the CNP Rural Training Center in Pijaos on July 2.  He 
observed the Jungla Instructor Course, the Jungla Medical Course, 
met with the U.S. Army Seventh Special Forces Group trainers, and 
toured the recently-completed NAS-funded training center.  On July 
11-12 at the Santa Marta Antinarcotics Base, the Junglas celebrated 
their twentieth anniversary.  On July 13, also in Santa Marta, NAS 
representatives participated in the DIRAN Interdiction Jungla 
Company leaders' conference.  The 18-week Jungla Commando 
International Course began on July 27 and currently includes 40 
Colombian and 55 international students.  The 55 international 
students come from ten countries: Panama (25 students), Argentina 
(2), Brazil (2), Belize (2), Costa Rica (2), Jamaica (1), Paraguay 
(1), Peru (7), Mexico (2), and the Dominican Republic (12).  The 
23-week Combat Medic Course graduated 40 students in July; the next 
course will begin in Pijaos on August 3. 
 
------------------------------- 
BASE SECURITY/ROAD INTERDICTION/NVD PROGRAM 
------------------------------- 
 
¶17.  (SBU) The Base Security course began on July 21 in Tumaco and 
will graduate 44 students on September 3.  The students come from 
various DIRAN, EMCAR (Mobile Carabinero Squadrons), COLNAV (Marine 
Corps) and BRACNA (Antinarcotics Brigade) units.  The next course 
will start on September 8 in Necocli, Antioquia (critical drug 
transit point on the Caribbean coast, near the border with Panama). 
 
 
¶18.  (SBU) The Indefinite Amount/Indefinite Quantity IDIQ La Julia 
project to rebuild a police station as well as the Tierradentro 
project are slated to be completed in August, after a delay due to 
torrential rains.  Miraflores IDIQ project's Phase II is underway. 
Work began at the Piedras Blancas and the Belen de Bajira projects 
and should be completed by the end of August. 
 
¶19.  (SBU) The Night Vision Device (NVD) program advisor returned 35 
inspected NVDs to their respective EMCAR units.  Manual eradication 
sent in 60 NVDs for inspection.  The remaining 120 NVDs of the 500 
purchased for the EMCAR program arrived in July and will be 
distributed to EMCAR units after undergoing inspection. 
 
--------------------- 
MARITIME INTERDICTION 
--------------------- 
¶20.  (SBU) The Naval Intelligence Group (GRUIN in its Spanish 
acronym) supported a joint COLMIL operation close to the Gulf of 
Uraba (Caribbean Coast, near the Panamanian border) where the 
reconnaissance teams located a cache filled with 1.5 metric tons of 
cocaine.  In a nearby location, the teams also found a small camp 
with 260 7.62mm rounds for AK-47, one small boat, and captured five 
individuals.  Also in the Uraba Gulf, the GRUIN seized 420 kgs of 
cocaine and two "go-fast" vessels that were loaded and ready to go. 
Two other GRUIN teams found an abandoned semi-submersible 
construction site.  During an operation in San Andres, the Atlantic 
Coast Guard captured a go-fast with two crew members and seized 4.2 
million dollars in cash.  The Colombian Coast Guard and the CD 
Brigade seized a self-propelled semi-submersible near Tumaco, 
Narino.  The Bahia Solano Coast Guard detected and seized a 
"go-fast" boat in the vicinity of Jurado (Pacific Coast), capturing 
350 kgs of cocaine. 
¶21.  (SBU) The maritime advisor conducted a test and evaluation on a 
flotation Level III ballistic vest. The armor plate stopped all 
7.62mm rounds that were shot from a machine gun at 3, 5, and 8 
meters, and passed the flotation test. 
 
---------------------- 
COMMUNICATIONS/WEAPONS 
---------------------- 
 
¶22.  (SBU) DIRAN's radio teams supported manual eradication 
operations and sent radio teams to support DIRAN training on THALES 
MBITR (multiband radios).  The weapons section donated 
transportation containers for explosives, tubes to clear weapons, 
first aid equipment, security lights, and security cameras to 
various DIRAN armories.  The DIRAN weapons group repaired 13 M60 E3 
machine guns. 
 
--------------------------- 
PORT SECURITY PROGRAM (PSP) 
--------------------------- 
 
¶23.  (SBU) The DIRAN polygraph unit conducted polygraph exams on 148 
members of the DIRAN's Interdiction, Aviation and Ports and Airports 
units.  103 of those tested passed the exam, 43 failed, and two had 
inconclusive results.  New DIRAN Intelligence Commander LTC Leonardo 
Mejia assumed the leadership of the Polygraph Unit. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
COLOMBIAN ARMY COUNTERDRUG (CD) BRIGADE 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶24.  (SBU) The CD Brigade's Second and Third Battalions continued to 
support aerial eradication, interdiction, and combat operations. 
During July, the CD Brigade secured a total of 9,388 ha for aerial 
eradication missions.  The battalions conducted interdiction and 
combat operations against the FARC's 7, 15, 29 and 30 Fronts in 
Caqueta, Guaviare, and Narino.  The battalions located and destroyed 
one HCl laboratory, eight narcoterrorist camps, four coca paste 
laboratories, and seized 7,406 gallons of liquid precursors, 1,652 
of solid precursors, 400 kgs of coca leaf, 12 microwaves, one 
special device used to process cocaine, and three generators.  The 
First Battalion conducted light infantry, air assault, and combat 
operations training in Larandia, Caqueta.  During combat operations, 
the battalions confiscated five hand grenades.  Second BRACNA killed 
a FARC member during an operation.  One CD Brigade soldier was 
killed in action. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
REESTABLISH POLICE PRESENCE PROGRAM (CARABINEROS) 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶25.  (SBU) The carabinero squadrons are continuing their operations 
throughout Colombia conducting road security, manual eradication, 
infrastructure security and rural patrolling operations.  The 
primary focus of the Carabineros Directorate continues to be the 
emerging criminal bands.  In July, the squadrons operating against 
these groups captured 30 personnel and seized 236 weapons from them. 
 The squadrons also captured eight FARC/ELN members and 100 common 
criminals, and seized 55 weapons.  During counternarcotics 
operations, the squadrons captured 2,598 gallons of liquid 
precursors, 4,234 kgs of solid precursors, 1,250 liters and then 440 
gallons of coca leaves in liquid.  The squadrons destroyed eight 
base laboratories and three caches, and impounded 27 vehicles. 
Emerging criminal band members engaged in two firefights with the 
carabineros. 
 
 
----------------- 
AIR BRIDGE DENIAL 
----------------- 
 
¶27.  (SBU) In July, out of 2,758 air tracks over Colombia, one was 
declared Unknown, Assumed Suspect (UAS).  Colombia did not respond 
because this UAS entered the Colombian airspace very briefly during 
its roundtrip flight from Venezuela to the Dominican Republic and 
back.  Near Tumaco, Narino, ABD personnel worked with the Colombian 
Navy and Coast Guard to impound three "go-fast" boats and arrest 
eight crewmembers. 
 
------------- 
ENVIRONMENTAL 
------------- 
 
¶28.  (SBU) In July, the interagency complaints committee received 
1,020 new claims of alleged spray damage to legal crops; 949 of 
these cases originated from Roberto Payan, Narino.  NAS and the 
police are investigating the legitimacy of these complaints by 
analyzing complaint documents, coca detection data, and spray lines. 
 The police met with the town's mayor and loaned 10 NAS GPS devices 
to assist in determining the exact site coordinates.  NAS will 
overfly the entire Roberto Payan area and capture images with the 
ADS camera to verify current presence of coca and judge the 
legitimacy of complaints.  [NOTE:  On August 3, an additional 1,836 
complaints were received from Barbacoas, Narino; NAS will prioritize 
investigations there.    END NOTE.] 
 
¶29.  (SBU) By the end of July, the environmental team had closed 58 
crop damage cases due to incomplete applications, 20 cases because 
coca was either mixed with legal crops or no damage was found, and 
compensated 11 cases for an approximate total of $82,840. 
 
¶30.  (SBU) The environmental team conducted an analysis of the crop 
damage complaint system, focusing primarily on developing an 
approach to decrease the backlog.  As of June 30, NAS had a backlog 
of 791 complaints.  The environmental team has developed a 
three-prong approach to decrease the backlog where NAS will verify 
complaints, pay complainants, and organize informational sessions on 
the complaint process for local mayors and farmers.  This will allow 
NAS to close over 300 cases. 
 
¶31.  (U) The NAS picture museum was exhibited at the Corferias 
AgroExpo fair from July 16-26.  Visitors received a guided tour of 
the exhibit and learned about all of the stages of illegal crop 
production; and experts discussed environmental damagers and the 
destruction to Colombia's flora and fauna.  Various GOC entities and 
NGOs participated, such as the Dangerous Drugs Directorate (DNE), 
United for Colombia, and the DIRAN.  The picture museum will return 
to Corferias August 13-23 for the 22nd International Book Fair. 
 
---------------------------- 
DRUG DEMAND PREVENTION (DDP) 
---------------------------- 
 
¶32.  (U) Representatives from NGOs "Surgir," "Mentor," and "Leones 
Educando" traveled with the program officer to the CADCA (Community 
Anti-Drug Coalitions of America) "Mid-Year Training Camp" in 
Louisville, Kentucky on July 27-30 and learned about DDP community 
coalition building.  These selected NGOs will establish three DDP 
coalitions in Colombia in Medellin, Bogota, and in Barranquilla. 
Ten DIRAN officers participated in the annual DARE conference in 
Orlando on July 21-23; DARE Inernational financed four of the 
officers. 
 
¶33.  (U) During the AgroExpo fair, "United for Colombia" 
representatives gave a presentation on drug demand prevention, 
showing the direct link between the purchase of drugs and the 
financing of narcoterrorism.  A military officer and two civilians 
injured by explosive devices spoke about their experiences. 
 
--------------------------------- 
INDIVIDUAL DEMOBILIZATION PROGRAM 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶34.  (SBU) July was the peak month for 2009 with 265 members of 
illegal guerilla groups turning themselves into authorities under 
the Ministry of Defense's (MOD's) Demobilization Program.  Major 
motivations for desertion are abuse by former comrades, political 
divergence and increasing military pressure.  However, the most 
common reason cited continues to be a desire for a new way of life. 
1,636 individuals have demobilized so far in 2009, 80 percent of 
whom are FARC members.  While the National Liberation Army (ELN in 
its Spanish acronym) represents fewer than 20 percent of the total 
demobilized population, compared to 2008 rates, ELN demobilization 
numbers have increased by 50 percent.  Program budget shortfalls 
have been largely overcome allowing the MOD to execute contracts 
with commercial media outlets communicating the demobilization 
message across the airwaves, via television and at local promotional 
events.  The program continues to emphasize fresh initiatives for 
prevention of illegal recruitment and provides psychological 
assistance to the demobilized.  Information voluntarily provided by 
the demobilized is still one of the best sources of intelligence 
available to security forces.  Reintegration remains a major 
challenge for the Colombian government as almost 80 percent of the 
demobilized individuals do not have elementary school education. 
 
¶35.  (SBU) COMMENT:  The narcotraffickers are taking advantage of 
Colombian political difficulties with Colombia's neighbors - 
narcoterrorist activity is strong in border areas such as Cucuta 
(border with Venezuela), Gulf of Uraba (almost on the border with 
Panama), and Tumaco (near Ecuador).  While the DIRAN Cucuta 
commander has developed a working relationship with his Venezuelan 
antinarcotics counterparts, the narcotraffickers are undeterred: 
the Cucuta commander noted that narcotraffickers are straddling 
their laboratories along the Venezuelan/Colombian border where part 
of the operation takes place in one country and yet another in 
another.  Narcotraffickers are also taking advantage of their 
informants - when the Bogota Junglas attempted an HVT mission 
against the FARC 6 Front leadership, the camp had been moved days 
prior to the attack.  END COMMENT. 
 
BROWNFIELD