VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTG #0731/01 2231913
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 111913Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY TEGUCIGALPA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0387
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 8153
RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 1394
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0744
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHMFIUU/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHDC
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHINGTON DC
RUEAHND/CDRJTFB SOTO CANO HO
RUMIAAA/USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RHMFIUU/DIRJIATF SOUTH
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEIDN/DNI WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 000731 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR PREL PGOV KJUS EAID MOPS MARR HO
SUBJECT: TFH01: Drug Trafficking Activity Before and After the 
Ouster of President Zelaya. 
 
REF: Tegucigalpa 249 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: After a series of successful seizure operations in 
the first half of 2009, the political crisis in Honduras, triggered 
by the ouster of President Jose Manuel Zelaya on June 28, is already 
showing its effects by degrading the ability of the Honduran 
National Police to engage in counternarcotics operations.  From 
January - July 2009, cocaine seizures exceeded 9,700 kilos, either 
in air and maritime events in Honduran territory or on Honduran 
flagged maritime vessels, achieving record proportions in contrast 
to the year-end total seizures of 6,764 kilos of cocaine for all of 
¶2008. The success accomplished in the first half of 2009 can be 
primarily attributed to the enhanced cooperation and coordination 
between U.S. law enforcement and intelligence entities (DEA, TAT, 
and JIATF-South) and the Honduran security forces responding to 
narcotics air and maritime shipments.  This joint effort has been 
suspended since the expulsion of President Zelaya.  The Tactical 
Analysis Team (TAT) has documented the flow of cocaine since June 
28, 2009 and found that compared to the same time period in 2008 
(June 27-July 25), the number of known narcotics trafficking cases 
in the JIATF-South system almost doubled from 18 in 2008 to 33 in 
¶2009.  End summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Air Cases: There has been a significant increase in the 
number of air cases related to narcotics trafficking that have come 
to the country in 2009.  From January 27 - June 27, 2009, the Joint 
Information Communication Center (JICC) registered 21 narcotics 
flights from Venezuela out of a total of 24, nearly matching the 
number of cases recorded by JIATF-South and the TAT in the entire 
calendar year 2008.  As of July 25, there have been 30 Honduran air 
cases or events in 2009.  Of particular note are seven air cases and 
events which have delivered several tons of narcotics to Honduras 
since June 28, 2009.  The month of June 2009 was particularly busy 
for Honduras-bound air tracks.  Of the 11 noted Central American 
tracks, at least seven landed or made deliveries to Honduras.  As of 
July 29 2009, activity with regard to Honduras has increased 
significantly.  While flights in July 2008 tended toward Guatemala 
(at least four of eight), almost all flights in July 2009 flew to 
Honduras. Consistent with the pattern throughout 2009, the majority 
of Honduras-bound air tracks tended toward the sparsely populated 
and loosely governed eastern department of Gracias a Dios, in the 
region known as La Mosquitia.  The limited law enforcement presence, 
the lack of infrastructure (this department has no road access from 
outside), and the low level of legitimate economic activity, make 
this region a main target for narcotics trafficking. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Maritime Cases: Maritime cases have also increased in 2009. 
 In the period from June 28 to July 24 2009, there were 32 maritime 
narcotics cases which involved Honduras as the primary delivery 
destination.  For the same period in 2008, there were 16 maritime 
cases.  This jump in the number of maritime cases has no apparent 
connection with the ouster of President Zelaya, but indicates that 
drug trafficking continues unabated. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Political Aspects: Since the ouster of President Zelaya on 
June 28 2009, the de facto regime has claimed to have stopped all 
narcotics flights from Venezuela and to have made significant 
inroads against narcotics traffickers, with the insinuation (with no 
evidence presented to back the claim) that ousted President Zelaya 
was either complicit or at least tolerant of such activity. 
Information available to TAT indicates that this claim is patently 
false.  Narco-activity has remained constant and may have increased 
since the departure of President Zelaya and the suspension of 
contact between U.S. counterdrug entities and Honduran security 
forces.  Police contacts at JICC have admitted to Embassy personnel 
that President Zelaya's physical presence (or non presence) in the 
country is not linked to the drug trafficking activity, and that 
undoubtedly the lack of USG support in counternarcotics efforts will 
bring an increase in this activity.  According to JICC, during the 
month of July narco-trafficking activity may have decreased due to a 
curfew declared throughout the country.  Embassy contacts have also 
reported to Emboffs indirectly that Honduras Drug czar, General 
Walter Lopez Reyes (Lopez is Zelaya's appointed chief and has 
remained in his position after June 28) has expressed concern that 
 
the current political crisis places Honduras at great risk of 
falling deeper into the tentacles of narco-traffickers. 
 
¶9. (SBU) Comment: Narcotics traffickers are taking advantage of the 
political crisis in Honduras.  The lack of resources of the Honduran 
law enforcement entities, with attention now focused more on 
internal security matters related to political events related to 
June 28, and the suspension of U.S assistance are factors being used 
by narcotics traffickers to increase the flow and transshipment of 
drugs.  End comment. 
 
Llorens