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RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHMN #0614/01 3071607
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 031606Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0003
INFO MERCOSUR COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS MONTEVIDEO 000614 
 
SIPDIS 
INL FOR JOHN LYLE 
WHA/BSC FOR MARY DASCHBACH 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR
SUBJECT: Uruguay 2009-02010 INSCR Part I (draft) 
 
REF: STATE 97230 
 
¶1.       (U) Following is Embassy Montevideo's draft text for the 
INCSR Part I which was also submitted by email per reftel 
instructions. 
 
 
 
BEGIN URUGUAY INSCSR DRAFT TEXT: 
 
 
 
Uruguay 2010 
 
 
 
¶I.      Summary 
 
 
 
Uruguay is not a major narcotics producing or transit nation. 
Foreign trafficking cartels and individuals, including from Mexico, 
Eastern Europe, Colombia, and Bolivia, continue to be active in 
Uruguay, often having larger operations in neighboring Argentina or 
Brazil.  Uruguay also continues to experience increasing local 
consumption of the highly addictive and inexpensive cocaine paste, 
the crude, cocaine base product known locally as "pasta base."  In 
June, the Government of Uruguay released a National Plan Against 
Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering, which aims to better 
coordinate the counternarcotics efforts of the varied agencies 
involved in fighting organized crime.  Uruguay is a party to the 
1988 UN Drug Convention. 
 
 
 
II.     Status of Country 
 
 
 
Though not a major narcotics producing or transit country, Uruguay 
is nonetheless exploited by international drug traffickers for 
transit and logistics operations.  Uruguay's porous borders and 
limited inspection of airport and port cargo makes it an attractive 
transit point for contraband.  Uruguay is not known for narcotics 
cultivation or production, and there have been no seizures of 
domestically produced narcotics in 2009.  This year Uruguay saw its 
largest ever seizure (over 2 tons of cocaine), as well as the first 
seizure of a chemical precursor, lidocaine, which is used to dilute 
cocaine. 
 
 
 
The most frequently seized drug in Uruguay is marijuana, though 
officials are concerned about the growing popularity of cocaine 
paste.  Local demand for cocaine paste continued to increase in 
2009, as did the incidence of crime related to this drug, according 
to the National Anti-Drug Secretariat.  Use of cocaine base inside 
prisons has led to insecurity and severe health problems in 
prisons.  Individual drug use is not viewed as a criminal offense 
and Uruguay's rehabilitation centers are strained with increasing 
addicts seeking assistance.  Significant efforts to reduce drug use 
and assist addicts continued during 2009. 
 
 
 
III.   Country Actions Against Drugs in 2009 
 
 
 
Policy Initiatives.  The GOU made significant strides in 
counternarcotics policy in 2009.  The newly developed four-year 
National Plan Against Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering 
outlined the coordination of state resources and participants and 
created a governing body made up of undersecretaries from the 
agencies working in those areas.  In January, special courts for 
organized crime began operating, resulting from legislation passed 
in 2008.  The courts have jurisdiction over drug trafficking, money 
laundering, corruption, and banking fraud, as well as trafficking 
in persons.  Two judges and two federal prosecutors now cover all 
cases related to organized crime, which allows them to specialize 
and to better identify related.  For example, recently, a drug mule 
case was also found to have a trafficking in persons component. New 
legislation passed in 2009 allows the sale or use of seized assets 
before the conclusion of criminal cases that sometimes take years. 
Demand reduction efforts also advanced and have reflected the 
changing abuse patterns and side effects that come with cocaine 
base use.  Uruguay is an active member of the Organization of 
 
American States Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission 
(CICAD), the Southern Cone Working Group of the International 
Conference for Drug Control, and other international organizations 
fighting narcotics, corruption, and crime. 
 
 
 
Law Enforcement Efforts.  The GOU is highly conscious of the rising 
counternarcotics threat and has made consistent efforts to improve 
its response capacity.  Efforts to coordinate interagency 
strategies and the implementation of improved practices have paid 
off in terms of increased seizures.  The Uruguayan counternarcotics 
police lead the interagency coordination due to their demonstrated 
effectiveness over the long term.  They continued to improve their 
operations and intelligence unit by upgrading investigative 
techniques.  Port of Montevideo controls are steadily improving, 
and in March, customs officials began working with a team of 
special operations police who patrol the ports.  This team liaises 
with the counternarcotics police and has full access to the port 
area and flexibility to investigate suspicious activity.  In 2009, 
the military began integrating a new radar system with the civilian 
system to gain better control of airspace in the north, in an 
effort to better control the northern borders and the clandestine 
airstrips. 
 
 
 
In 2009, the GOU seized 2,415 kilograms (kg) of cocaine in both 
national and international counternarcotics operations. The GOU 
also seized 174 kg of cocaine base, which was almost double the 
2008 level; and 547 kg of marijuana, down from 963 kg in 2008. 
(Note:  numbers are accurate as of Oct 26 and will be updated in 
Dec.  End note.)  Uruguay's interdiction numbers are low in the 
context of its neighbors, and reflect lower narcotics consumption 
and less trafficking in Uruguay as well as the GOU's proactive and 
aggressive efforts to contain these problems. 
 
 
 
The seizure of over two metric tons of cocaine in October as part 
of an international operation led by the Drug Enforcement 
Administration (DEA) was a historical seizure for Uruguay and the 
region.  After receiving intelligence from DEA and its Argentine 
counterparts, the Uruguayan Coast Guard was able to identify and 
detain a yacht transporting 2,174 kg of cocaine.  One Croatian 
national was arrested in Uruguay and three others were arrested in 
Eastern Europe.  The investigation is ongoing.  The operation is an 
example of successful information sharing and international 
cooperation, in this case with Uruguayan, Argentine, and Serbian 
officials under DEA guidance and investigation.  Nationally, the 
successful operation, which including the Uruguayan Coast Guard, 
the counternarcotics police and the organized crime courts, is 
evidence of improved interagency cooperation. 
 
 
 
The GOU made 1,185 drug-related arrests leading to 483 convictions. 
These numbers are a slight decrease (Note: likely to change with 
end of year numbers. End note.) from 2008 in both overall arrests 
number of convictions. 
 
Corruption.  Uruguay has taken legal and law enforcement measures 
to prevent and punish public corruption as related to narcotics 
production, processing or shipment.  Corruption cases are now under 
the jurisdiction of the organized crime courts.  The GOU 
Transparency Law of 1998 criminalizes various abuses of power by 
government authorities and requires high-ranking officials to 
comply with financial disclosure regulations.  Public officials who 
do not act on knowledge of a drug-related crime may be charged with 
a "crime of omission" under the Citizen Security Law.  There were 
no corruption cases in 2009. 
 
 
 
Agreements and Treaties.  Uruguay is a party to the 1988 UN Drug 
Convention; the 1971 UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances; the 
1961 UN Single Convention, as amended by the 1972 Protocol; the 
Inter-American Convention Against Corruption; the Inter-American 
Convention Against Terrorism; the Inter-American Convention Against 
Trafficking in Illegal Firearms; the UN Convention Against 
Transnational Organized Crime and its three Protocols; and the UN 
Convention against Corruption.  It is also a member of the OAS 
Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD) and in 2009 
Uruguay held the presidency for the CICAD Money Laundering Experts 
Group.  The USG and Uruguay are parties to an extradition treaty 
that entered into force in 1984, a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty 
(MLAT) that entered into force in 1994, and a Letter of Agreement 
 
through which the USG funds counternarcotics and law enforcement 
programs.  Uruguay has also signed drug-related bilateral 
agreements with Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, Chile, 
Mexico, Panama, Peru, Venezuela and Romania.  Uruguay is a member 
of the regional financial action task force Grupo de Accion 
Financiera de Sudamerica (GAFISUD). 
 
 
 
Cultivation/Production.  Neither USG nor Uruguayan agencies have 
evidence of significant cultivation of illicit drugs in Uruguay. 
Production is also rare, and no processing plants were seized in 
¶2009. 
 
Drug Flow/Transit.  Limited law enforcement presence along the 
borders, in the ports, and in the northern Uruguayan airspace opens 
up Uruguay to drug trafficking by private vehicle, bus, small 
private airplanes, trucks, commercial aircraft flights, and 
containerized cargo. Colombian and Bolivian traffickers have 
smuggled cocaine into Uruguay by flying directly into remote 
regions from Bolivia, using make-shift airstrips located on 
foreign-owned residential farms.  This practice is being targeted 
by implementing radar systems in northern Uruguay, currently 
continues. 
 
From Uruguay, narcotics are generally transported to Brazil for 
domestic consumption there or transshipped onward to Europe.  In 
2009, the largest seizure was a yacht carrying over 2 metric tons 
of cocaine heading out to meet a ship on the high seas. 
 
 
 
Domestic Programs (Demand Reduction).  Uruguay's demand reduction 
efforts focus on prevention programs, rehabilitation and treatment. 
In 2009, the National Drug Rehabilitation Center continued to train 
health care professionals and sponsored teacher training, public 
outreach, and other programs in community centers and clubs.  This 
year Uruguay produced a new anti-drug education program for 
adolescents that is taught in schools across the country.  The 
interagency treatment and prevention program "Portal Amarillo" 
continued to serve as a primary outlet for addicts seeking help. 
It features drug rehabilitation clinics and a hotline, services for 
both in-patient and out-patient drug users in northern Montevideo 
and in the Department of Maldonado.   In a specialized program 
targeting prison populations, prison personnel and inmates were 
trained to develop, plan, and perform activities to reduce drug 
abuse.  Uruguay continues to develop methods to track trends in 
drug use.  In 2009, Uruguay completed a survey of drug use in youth 
populations, including secondary schools and prisons, and in 2010 
they will undertake a survey of drug use in the general population. 
Those findings will allow them to better shape demand reduction 
programs. 
 
 
 
IV. U.S. Policy Initiatives and Programs 
 
 
 
Bilateral Cooperation.  U.S. strategy has been to prevent Uruguay 
from becoming a major point for narcotics transit or processing. 
Although DEA does not have an office in Uruguay, the regional DEA 
office has provided support and guidance to Uruguay authorities, in 
both general operations and specific investigations.  The regional 
DHS office also provided training and support to officials in 
border areas and ports.  USG assistance to the GOU in 2009 included 
support to demand reduction programs; support for narcotics 
interdiction operations, including provision of equipment; and 
assistance with police training.  USG programs also provided 
training in maritime law enforcement leadership, port security 
including container inspection, and border security training to the 
Uruguayan Navy, Coast Guard, and Marines.  As part of the State 
Partnership Program, the Connecticut Air National Guard is 
providing technical assistance to the Uruguayan Air Force on radar 
integration, maintenance, operations and training. 
 
 
 
The Road Ahead.  With the National Plan Against Drug Trafficking 
and Money Laundering and the new legislation on organized crime 
courts and asset forfeiture, Uruguay has set the foundation for 
solid counternarcotics work.  The counternarcotics police's 
improving investigative capacity and international cooperation are 
further steps towards making Uruguay less attractive to drug 
traffickers.  Regardless, as a small country, Uruguay lacks the 
resources to maintain state-of-the-art technology and the field 
experience to provide local training.  The USG encourages Uruguay 
 
to continue interagency and international cooperation and increase 
investment in its counternarcotics efforts.  Uruguay has several 
dedicated demand reduction programs, and needs to continue reaching 
out to youth and at risk groups to stop abuse before it starts. 
MATTHEWMAN