VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBO #0508/01 0411902
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 101900Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2699
RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO
INFO RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
RUEHMC/AMCONSUL MONTERREY
RUEHZP/AMEMBASSY PANAMA

UNCLAS BOGOTA 000508 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
DEPT FOR INL/LP STEPHANIE BOWERS, CRAIG LANG 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER ASEC CO MX PM
SUBJECT: COLOMBIA-MEXICO COUNTER-NARCOTICS AND JUSTICE COOPERATION 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: The Colombian National Police (CNP) reported that 
it conducted training for 5,747 Mexican police members in 2009; 98% 
of which took place in Mexico.  According to the CNP, its judicial 
courses at the Center of Criminal Investigation and Accusatory 
Penal System in Mexico City accounted for roughly half of the 5,747 
Mexican police trained in 2009.  The CNP Anti-narcotics Directorate 
(DIRAN) trained a total of 19 Mexican police students in the 
bi-annual, 18 week Jungla Commando International Course at the CNP 
National Training Center in Colombia from 2007-2009.  United States 
Department of Justice (DOJ) has sent Assistant United States 
Attorneys and Colombian prosecutors to Mexico for federal police 
judicial training over the last two years, along with coordinating 
the participation of Mexican prosecutors and investigators in 
training courses in Colombia.  The Mexican Army plans to 
participate in rotary wing aviation training in Colombia in March. 
Mexican Embassy officials here in Bogota report that they would 
like to expand such training in a variety of areas.  Colombia has 
appropriate facilities and capacity to do more training, given 
adequate resources.  Post believes Colombia has relevant experience 
to offer Mexico. End summary. 
 
 
 
Large-scale, ongoing Colombian training programs for Mexico 
 
--------------------------------------------- --------------- 
 
 
 
¶2. (SBU) The Colombian National Police (CNP) provided 
counternarcotics and criminal investigative training to Mexico in 
2009 as part of the Mexican Secretariat of Public Security (SSP) 
police reform initiative, according to contacts in the Mexican 
Embassy in Bogota.  The CNP reported that it conducted training for 
5,747 Mexican police members in 2009; 98% of which took place in 
Mexico.  Most of this training focused on police investigation and 
intelligence.  The bulk of CNP training was delivered to Mexican 
federal police units.  The Mexican state police of Jalisco, 
Chihuahua, and Guanajuato also hosted Colombian police trainers 
during 2009. 
 
 
 
¶3. (SBU) The CNP-led judicial courses at the Center of Criminal 
Investigation and Accusatory Penal System in Mexico City accounted 
for roughly 50% of those 5,747 Mexican police trained in 2009, 
according to the CNP.  Approximately 125 CNP instructors have 
contributed over the last year to an ongoing international effort 
(United States, Canada, Colombia, Spain, and the Czech Republic) to 
train 10,000 Mexican Federal Police recruits in investigation and 
intelligence at the police academy in San Luis de Potosi, according 
to Mexican Embassy contacts. Embassy DOJ officers report that 
Colombian prosecutors working alongside U.S. prosecutors also 
contributed to the police training in Mexico, which runs from 
January 2009 to March 2010. In addition, Colombian police trainers 
taught intelligence and investigation courses to Mexican Federal 
Police units, accounting for approximately 28% of the 2009 total. 
The remaining 22% of those Mexican police trained by the CNP last 
year participated in smaller courses on intelligence, 
investigation, anti-terrorism, anti-narcotics, and community 
policing.  Approximately 2% of Mexicans trained by the CNP in 2009 
were trained in Colombia. 
 
 
 
¶4. (SBU) The CNP Anti-narcotics Directorate (DIRAN) trained a total 
of 19 Mexican police students in the bi-annual, 18 week Jungla 
Commando International Course at the CNP National Training Center 
in Pijaos from 2007-2009.  A DIRAN "Jungla" nine-man Mobile 
Training Team delivered a sixty-day anti-narcotics training program 
to the Jalisco State Police in Mexico from September 2 to November 
2, 2009; the same Jungla program took place in Jalisco in 2008.  In 
early 2009, CNP anti-kidnapping units trained Chihuahua State 
Police in anti-kidnapping and investigative techniques in Ciudad 
Juarez.  Colombian police trained three Mexican airport police in 
Bogota from January 12 to 19 in a course aimed to improve drug 
detection in airports. 
 
 
 
Colombia-Mexico Police Training Plans for 2010 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶5. (SBU) According to the Mexican Embassy in Bogota, the Mexican 
government hopes to expand the ongoing Colombia-Mexico training 
relationship by bringing more Mexican security forces to Colombia 
for training in the coming years.  Mexico intends to send at least 
four candidates to each Jungla Commando International course for 
the foreseeable future.  Embassy contacts reported Mexico's 
intention to send more federal police in 2010 to the DIRAN Combat 
Medic Course, Designated Marksman Course, Explosives and 
Demolitions Course, and Close Quarters Combat Course, all of which 
are taught at the CNP National Training Center. 
 
 
 
¶6. (SBU) The Mexican SSP federal police attach???? to Colombia 
accompanied NAS Bogota in touring the CNP training center at Pijaos 
on January 29 to assess the center's training capacity.  The 
Mexican attach???? related that the GOM is interested in sending 
hundreds of federal police units to the CNP training center for 
training from 2010 and 2011, and he requested INL assistance to 
facilitate logistics involved with these potentially expanded 
programs. 
 
 
 
Future Areas of Potential Police Cooperation 
 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
 
 
¶7. (SBU) INL may be able to facilitate the logistics of expanded 
Mexican police participation at the CNP training center in Pijaos. 
This facility has the capacity to house and train hundreds of 
Mexican police, as eight newly-constructed barracks have recently 
opened.  Current courses could potentially be adjusted by CNP 
trainers to provide Mexican trainees with specific training needs, 
with potential assistance by the U.S. Special Forces team assigned 
to the school.  Possible options include a "Mexico Basic Course," 
along with expanded, specialty courses such as the Explorer Course, 
Close Quarters Combat, Designated Marksman, and Combat Medic 
courses.  The CNP training center could likely absorb over 100 
Mexicans year-round without negatively impacting the training 
rhythm. 
 
 
 
¶8. (SBU) If INL and NAS Mexico believe it worthwhile, NAS Bogota 
would make PSC Advisors available to conduct short TDYs to Mexico 
to assist in establishing police training programs and support 
packages, conducting assessments of police needs in specific areas, 
and helping implement specific programs.  NAS Bogota stands ready 
to assist with training proposals/ideas, program substance and 
launch recommendations, and welcomes discussions on how to further 
utilize Colombia's counter-narcotic capabilities to assist Mexican 
efforts with Merida Initiative funds. 
 
 
 
Colombia-Mexico Maritime Interdiction Training 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
 
 
¶9. (SBU) The Colombian Coast Guard has demonstrated regional 
leadership with its incipient Regional Maritime Interdiction 
Training Program in Cartagena, and Mexican maritime security 
personnel have participated in the initial training courses.  The 
Colombian Coast Guard, with NAS support, is planning to 
significantly enhance regional training in 2010 and 2011, 
delivering training courses in Colombia to improve the capacity of 
regional partners in detection and interdiction of self-propelled 
semisubmersibles (SPSS) and surface boats, along with judicial 
training in crime scene management and evidence collection. 
 
 
 
¶10. (SBU) The Mexican Navy (MEXNAV) has participated recently in 
classes held at the USG International Coast Guard School, which is 
supported by Embassy Bogota's NAS and the Military Group. MEXNAV 
has participated in and hosted multilateral meetings sponsored by 
the U.S. Coast Guard and COLNAV on increasing cooperation in 
boarding illegal vessels at sea.  MEXNAV also participated in the 
first joint COLNAV/SOUTHCOM-sponsored Maritime Counter Drug 
 
Symposium of the Americas in November 2008, along with follow-on 
technical meetings through March 2009.  MEXNAV has committed to 
support and participate in the agreed upon Maritime Counter Drug 
Analysis Center (supported by MILGRP) and will participate in the 
second Maritime Counter Drug Symposium of the Americas scheduled to 
take place in the Dominican Republic in March. 
 
 
 
¶11. (SBU) COLNAV and MEXNAV will very soon exchange naval 
intelligence attach????s to work in each others' intelligence 
headquarters, according to the US Navy Mission in Bogota.  In 
addition, our Navy Mission reports that the COLNAV has agreed to 
help MEXNAV train riverine forces in the near future. (Note: On 
another military cooperation front, the Mexican Army is scheduled 
to participate in the initial Rotary Wing Training Course in 
Melgar, Colombia in March.  This rotary wing training is part of an 
estimated USD 25 million capacity-building program designed to last 
several years. End note.) 
 
 
 
United States-Colombia-Mexico Justice Training 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
 
 
¶12. (SBU) The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) coordinated 
participation of Colombian prosecutors, primarily in training of 
Mexico's SSP investigators on oral trial techniques and process, 
from August-November 2009.  Twelve prosecutors taught side-by-side 
with Assistant U.S. Attorneys in seven different sessions.  DOJ 
also involved a Colombian prosecutor in the first of several 
planned courses for training Mexican prosecutors.  DOJ is currently 
developing training programs for Mexican prosecutors, as well as 
investigators with PGR and INACIPE using the experience, materials, 
curriculum and trainers from the Colombia program.  DOJ is planning 
for extensive training of Mexican prosecutors through 2010, with 
support and learning experience gained from the Colombia program. 
The Colombian Prosecutor General's Office signed an agreement with 
the Mexican Attorney General's Office to assist with this training. 
DOJ is working closely with both sides to facilitate training 
possibilities and maximize the important connection among 
U.S.-Colombian-Mexican law enforcement concerns. 
 
 
 
¶13. (SBU) DOJ will be using materials, curriculum and trainers 
involved in Colombian investigator training to develop and 
implement training for Mexican investigators and forensic experts 
in areas such as crime scene management, evidence, report writing, 
interaction with prosecutors, and testimony in court proceedings. 
 
 
 
Areas of Potential Judicial Cooperation 
 
--------------------------------------- 
 
 
 
¶14. (SBU) In 2010, DOJ anticipates utilizing Colombian forensic 
scientists, protection personnel, investigators, and victim 
assistance personnel in programs involving forensic development, 
witness protection, police investigator training, and victim 
assistance.  This plan would likely entail bringing Mexican 
officials to Colombia for training, observation, and program 
discussions, as well as facilitating Colombian and US instructors 
familiar with the Colombia program providing training and program 
advice in Mexico.  DOJ will also be developing an exchange program 
and training for Mexican judges similar to those for prosecutors. 
 
 
 
¶15. (SBU) NAS Bogota and/or DOJ could facilitate the logistics of 
sending Mexican judicial police to Colombia for crime scene 
management training.  Five to ten Mexican judicial police could 
participate in iterations of CNP "judicial first responder 
training," which is being offered in strategic areas throughout 
Colombia in coordination with Embassy agencies, with an eye toward 
gauging GOM interest in developing a similar field course for 
Mexican public security units.  According to CNP judicial contacts, 
this training has improved local police forces' crime-scene 
management skills, facilitated the work of prosecutors, and boosted 
 
certain districts' prosecution of criminals. 
BROWNFIELD