VZCZCXRO8283
RR RUEHGR
DE RUEHWN #0786/01 3381939
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 041938Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0082
INFO EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 BRIDGETOWN 000786 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
STATE FOR WHA/CAR AND INL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR KCRM ECON PGOV XL
SUBJECT: International Efforts Keep Drug Trafficking at Bay in 
Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, but Activity Expected to Rise: 
Fall 2009 NAS Update 
 
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SUMMARY 
 
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¶1. (SBU) A consistent presence of counter-drug assets from the 
international community throughout the summer had a noticeable 
impact on suppressing trafficking activity in the Eastern 
Caribbean.  Most countries in the region continue to lack financial 
and human resources to adequately address the challenges associated 
with drug trafficking, and look forward to greater cooperation and 
tangible assistance through the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative 
(CBSI).  Local law enforcement agencies in some countries have 
increased emphasis on enforcement of asset forfeiture laws, and 
this increased focus has met with moderate success.  Embassy 
Bridgetown has staffed the NAS position through the Professional 
Associates Program and the new officer began a one-year appointment 
in October.  The Embassy continues to look forward to receiving an 
NSDD-38 request from INL to fill the NAS position in the ongoing 
summer 2010 bidding cycle as recommended by the February, 2010 OIG 
inspection.  End Summary. 
 
 
 
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RECENT TRENDS 
 
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¶2. (SBU) Between July and October, 2009, Venezuelan traffickers had 
their activities disrupted by the presence of maritime law 
enforcement activity in the Eastern Caribbean region.  Beginning 
with DEA Barbados Operation Flying Fish in July, followed by JIATF 
South Operations Caribe Royale (French) and Caribe Venture (Dutch), 
there has been a consistent presence of international maritime 
counter drug assets in the region.  Intelligence indicates that, 
although seizures remain low (due to Venezuelan tactics of 
weighting and jettisoning contraband to eliminate evidence), these 
operations have had a significant disruptive and deterrent effect 
on the usual unfettered transit of cocaine through the region. 
 
 
 
¶3. (SBU) Intelligence indicates that cocaine stocks on the 
transshipment islands of the Eastern Caribbean are very low at the 
moment and, as a result, the wholesale price of cocaine on some 
islands such as Barbados has nearly doubled to approximately 
9,000-11,000 USD per kilogram.  Recent intelligence indicates that 
activity is expected to increase significantly as the law 
enforcement surge operations wind down, and several drug 
trafficking organizations have recently sent smaller test loads 
through from Venezuela successfully.  Additional intelligence 
indicates that some Venezuelan suppliers are also offering small 
heroin loads to their cocaine customers in St. Lucia and Dominica 
to sample. 
 
 
 
¶4. (SBU) The following is a snapshot of recent narcotic 
enforcement/seizures in the region: 
 
 
 
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA 
 
 
 
The DEA Barbados Country Office (BCO) team is working with the 
Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda (RPFAB) and the FBI 
regarding extradition of a drug trafficker from Antigua to 
Barbados. 
 
 
 
BARBADOS 
 
BRIDGETOWN 00000786  002 OF 004 
 
 
On September 13, 2009, a French Navy patrol boat intercepted a 
vessel in international waters approximately 17 miles north of 
Barbados to conduct a boarding inspection.  The French Navy seized 
approximately 40 kilograms of marijuana from the vessel and 
arrested the three crew members.  The DEA Barbados Country Office 
team shared intelligence that the marijuana was destined for a drug 
trafficker in Barbados.  The members were transported to the French 
Department of Martinique for prosecution. 
 
 
 
A female courier for a drug trafficking organization was arrested 
on September 19, 2009, upon arrival in the United Kingdom, in 
connection with the seizure of approximately 2.5 kilograms of 
cocaine.  The DEA Barbados Country Office team received information 
that the female was traveling to the UK and identified several 
subjects at Grantley International Airport in Barbados who are 
believed to be part of the courier ring. 
 
 
 
DOMINICA 
 
 
 
On September 16, 2009, the Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force 
Drug Squad, Joint Intelligence Branch and the Financial 
Intelligence Unit executed a search warrant and seized 
approximately 2 kilograms of processed marijuana, several marijuana 
plants, and currency valued at 4,000 ECD  (1481 USD)  and 1,000 
EUROS (1,500 USD).  Five people were arrested in connection with 
this drug seizure. 
 
 
 
ST. LUCIA 
 
 
 
The Royal St. Lucia Police Force, on September 18, 2009, arrested 
two St. Lucians and two Venezuelans associated with the seizure of 
approximately 25 kilograms of cocaine concealed in a fuel 
container.  The DEA Barbados Country Office received and shared 
information relating to the St. Lucia organization that was 
expecting a cocaine shipment from Venezuela.  The four individuals 
were traveling in a minivan from the area of a suspected beach 
off-load location. 
 
 
 
On October 8, 2009, the St. Lucia Customs Department seized 
approximately 400 ECD (148 USD) and 10,000 EUROS (15,000 USD) from 
a female courier as she attempted to board a flight from St. Lucia 
to Port of Spain, Trinidad.  The currency was seized after the BCO 
received information that the female was traveling to Trinidad to 
deliver the funds to Venezuelan cocaine suppliers for a pending 
shipment of cocaine. 
 
 
 
ST. VINCENT 
 
 
 
On October 15, 2009, the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines 
Police Force (RSVPF) seized 8,011 ECD from a money launderer in St. 
Vincent after BCO received information that the subject was going 
to receive a wire transfer of funds from New York for the head of a 
drug trafficking organization in St. Vincent. 
 
 
 
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ASSISTANCE TO REGIONAL PARTNERS 
 
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BRIDGETOWN 00000786  003 OF 004 
 
 
¶5. (SBU) The following is a description of regional assistance 
provided in September and October, 2009: 
 
 
 
ST. LUCIA 
 
 
 
In October, 2009, the USG, through the United States Southern 
Command, announced it will spend 634,800 USD to demolish damaged 
piers in Castries and Vieux Fort and rebuild them.  The piers are 
critical to the effective counter-drug operations of the Royal St. 
Lucia Police Force's Marine Unit and by extension the overall 
counter-narcotics efforts in the Eastern Caribbean.  This project 
is expected to be completed in October 2010. 
 
 
 
DOMINICA 
 
 
 
The Dominica Financial Investigations Unit (FIU) last year moved 
into new office space located on the upper level of a building in 
the heart of the capital city, Roseau.  The entrance to the FIU, 
near a stairwell at the side of the building, presented a risk of 
persons possibly entering the building undetected.  NAS Bridgetown 
funded a security access system allowing employees of the FIU to 
see who is entering the building and grant access as necessary. 
The Security Access System was installed October 27, 2009 at a cost 
of 1,362 USD. 
 
 
 
ST. VINCENT 
 
 
 
St. Vincent is known as the biggest producer of marijuana in the 
Eastern Caribbean.  Drug units have cited the lack of physical 
resources necessary to effectively reduce drug trafficking.  NAS 
Bridgetown, in an attempt to assist the St. Vincent drug squad, 
purchased and delivered in October 2009, a 4-wheel drive, 
double-cab pickup truck.  This vehicle is designed to travel high, 
steep terrain where marijuana is grown. 
 
 
 
REGIONAL 
 
 
 
The Bridgetown Group, consisting of representatives from the 
British High Commission, the British Serious Organized Crime Agency 
(SOCA), the Canadian High Commission, the Royal Canadian Mounted 
Police, the European Union, the Organization of American States 
(OAS), the United Nations, the French Police Attach????, the U.S. 
Drug 
Enforcement Agency, and NAS-Bridgetown, met on October 14.  Lynne 
Anne Williams, Executive Director of the Caribbean Community 
Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (CARICOM IMPACS), and 
Jefferson Clarke, Law Enforcement Advisor for Caribbean Financial 
Action Task Force (CFATF) presented their organizations' resources 
and capabilities.  CARICOM IMPACS is involved in a wide variety of 
counterdrug initiatives.  The Caribbean Financial Action Task Force 
(CFATF) is an organization of thirty states of the Caribbean Basin, 
which have agreed to implement common countermeasures to address 
the problem of criminal money laundering.  In the roundtable 
discussion that followed the presentations, there was consensus 
among the participants that IMPACS is spread too thin and is 
ineffective in many ways.  CFATF, on the other hand, is capable and 
effective, but too small to have a major impact on increasing the 
number of properly conducted financial investigations. 
 
 
 
In an effort to maximize use of resources and avoid redundancy, 
each organization agreed to send the US NAS representative a list 
of all regional activities to be included in a resource matrix. 
Many island nations ask multiple organizations for the same 
resources, and this matrix is intended to ensure that all of the 
 
BRIDGETOWN 00000786  004 OF 004 
 
 
partner organizations know what the others have committed in order 
to efficiently distribute scarce resources.  The group agreed to 
meet again on November 18 at which time the resource matrix, CBSI, 
and other initiatives will be discussed. 
 
 
 
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Comment 
 
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¶6. (SBU) Law enforcement officials continue to cite a lack of 
resources as the main reason counterdrug measures are not as 
vigorous as they could be.  In the Bridgetown Group, two 
representatives claimed there had been little or no progress in 19 
years.  U.K. and EU officials recognize that many of the drugs 
produced in Colombia and Venezuela are transited to Europe and 
North America to satisfy demand there.  They understand that they 
have a duty and responsibility to assist Caribbean nations in their 
counterdrug activities.  However, the resources allocated do not 
come close to meeting the challenges. 
 
 
 
¶7. (SBU) The fact that more drugs are staying on the island nations 
is complicating matters and increasing local crime and violence. 
Corruption is also a problem as local officials find it easier to 
look the other way, or accept bribes to allow drug trafficking 
internally and externally to flourish.  Organizations are more 
reluctant now than ever before to commit resources without fully 
vetting the recipients.  Others in the donor community, struggling 
with their own reduced resources, are turning increasingly to the 
USG to play the leadership role in stemming the tide of drugs 
washing up on the shores of the Eastern Caribbean.   Local and 
international stakeholders hope that the CBSI will be a 
comprehensive, fully-funded, sustainable strategy that will reverse 
the dangerous trends in the region.  British, Canadian, and EU 
partners in particular would like to be kept up to speed on 
CBSI-related initiatives to ensure the best possible donor 
coordination and best application of their scarce resources. 
HARDT