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Viewing cable 09BUENOSAIRES811, ARGENTINA: FIRST AND SECOND QUARTER INL REPORT

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
09BUENOSAIRES811 2009-07-13 11:39 2011-08-25 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Buenos Aires
VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #0811/01 1941139
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 131139Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4052
INFO RUCNMER/MERCOSUR COLLECTIVE
RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 1910
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 1154
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA 2535
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ JUL CARACAS 1970
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000811 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/BSC AND INL/LP HOOKER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR PREL AFIN KCRM PGOV AR
SUBJECT: ARGENTINA: FIRST AND SECOND QUARTER INL REPORT 
 
ENTIRE TEXT SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED -- NOT FOR INTERNET 
DISTRIBUTION 
 
1. (SBU) Summary: Argentina experienced increased drug trafficking 
pressure during the first six months of 2009, with the apparently 
expanding use of small aircraft to traffic cocaine and marijuana 
across the country's northern borders.  Cargoes are quickly 
offloaded at clandestine strips and distributed for shipment to 
Europe (cocaine) or domestic consumption (marijuana and cocaine). 
Press reports gave extensive coverage to UNODC figures showing 
increasing cocaine and marijuana use in the country.  Courts are 
increasingly ruling to decriminalize personal possession of 
narcotics in Argentina, with a Supreme Court ruling to that effect 
widely anticipated. 
 
2. (SBU) Argentina law enforcement continues to cooperate 
effectively with U.S. and other third country officials, and 
collaborative efforts resulting in important arrests and seizures 
during the period.  U.S. training and equipping is well received. 
Major U.S. INCLE-funded contributions during the first half of 2009 
included investigative software with training, support for the 
establishment of a Center for Drug Information in Buenos Aires, 
ongoing support for the Northern Border Task Force (NBTF), and law 
enforcement training. 
 
I. Trafficking Trends 
 
Aerial Traffic Up 
----------------- 
 
3. (SBU) Argentina's lack of comprehensive radar coverage both along 
its borders and in the interior make it difficult to assess the 
volume of illicit drug flights into the country.  Cocaine-laden 
flights from Bolivia and Paraguay and marijuana-carrying flights 
from Paraguay are thought to use private ranch lands in the wide 
open spaces of Santiago del Estero, Chaco, and northern Santa Fe 
Provinces to land and quickly distribute narcotics to waiting 
vehicles.  It is transported south for internal consumption or, in 
the case of cocaine, for shipment to major markets, principally 
European, through mules and disguised as commercial ocean freight. 
Based on seizures resulting from tips or the number of random law 
enforcement encounters with the illicit flights, analysts and 
officials believe the volume of aerial traffic to be increasing. 
 
4. (SBU) One announced GOA response to the aerial trafficking is a 
plan announced in March to share real-time radar data from the Air 
Force with law enforcement agencies.  This has been slow to be 
implemented but is expected to commence soon.  In addition, 
Argentina's plans to procure additional "three-dimensional radars" 
for use around the country's borders would improve on spotty 
coverage.  Although competitors for this bid have gone through a 
pre-qualification process, fiscal shortfalls continue to push the 
purchase down the road. 
 
5. (SBU) The national Gendarmeria (border guard), a key partner in 
our law enforcement cooperation, has requested Embassy assistance in 
standing-up an integrated command-and-control center to track 
targets and coordinate on-the-ground law enforcement assets in the 
north central region of the country.  They have developed their own 
software, including a mapping program.  Members of the Law 
Enforcement Working Group at post have recommended a positive 
response to this request, which totals approximately US$ 14,000 in 
locally procured computer equipment. 
 
Seizures Also Rising 
-------------------- 
 
6. (SBU) In May, Gendarmeria officials told Embassy counterparts 
that overall seizures of marijuana and cocaine were running ahead of 
2008 figures.  Major seizures that included DEA participation 
include the following: 
 
-- On January 11, 2009, the Northern Border Task Force (NBTF) and 
Gendarmeria Nacional Argentina (GNA) in coordination with the DEA 
Buenos Aires Country Office (BACO) seized approximately 186 kgs of 
cocaine, one vehicle and arrested two Argentine nationals.  A 
surveillance team in the town of San Martin, Salta, conducted a 
vehicle stop on a red Ford pick-up, questioning its occupants who 
gave conflicting answers and acted nervously.  Officer conducted an 
inspection of the pick-up utilizing a NBTF drug detection canine who 
alerted to the bed of the pick-up.  A closer inspection revealed a 
hidden compartment where 188 rectangular packages of varying sizes 
and weights were seized.  The total weight of the cocaine seized was 
186 kgs. 
 
-- On February 22, 2009, the Northern Border Task Force (NBTF) and 
Gendarmeria Nacional Argentina (GNA) in coordination with the DEA 
Buenos Aires Country Office (BACO) seized approximately 238 kgs of 
cocaine, one vehicle and arrested one Argentine national.  The NBTF 
had obtained information that a subject would attempt to smuggle a 
substantial amount of cocaine from Bolivia into Argentina, using the 
services of an Argentine law enforcement officer.  After a vehicle 
matching the source description unlawfully proceeded through a 
checkpoint in the area of Aguaray, Salta, on National Route 34, it 
returned 10 minutes later and the driver identified himself as a 
Second Lieutenant in the GNA.  He gave conflicting answers, but a 
search on his vehicle was negative for drugs.  Later the same day, 
the NBTF and GNA found four bags containing approximately 280 
rectangular packages of different weights and sizes wrapped in 
balloon latex material.  A field test was conducted which resulted 
positive for cocaine. 
 
-- On February 26, 2009, the Policia Federal Argentina (PFA) 
obtained a search warrant based upon an ongoing joint investigation 
conducted by the PFA and BACO into the cocaine smuggling activities 
of a Serbian drug trafficking organization.  A search of a Recoleta 
apartment in the city of Buenos Aires resulted in the seizure of 174 
kgs of cocaine and the arrest of two Serbian nationals. 
 
-- On May 10, 2009, approximately 206.94 kgs of cocaine were seized 
and two individuals arrested, as a result of continuing 
investigative initiatives on the part of the BACO, NBTF and GNA. 
Based on source information, a vehicle was stopped at the border 
crossing at Salvador Mazza in the province of Salta.  A mobile 
scanner showed nine duffle bags concealed within 610 bags of grain. 
The bags contained 198 rectangular packages that tested positive for 
cocaine. 
 
NOTE: Official government seizures statistics are made available on 
an annual basis. 
 
Decriminalization 
----------------- 
 
7. (SBU) During the first half of 2009, several federal courts ruled 
against the detentions of individuals found with small amounts of 
narcotics.  It has been widely expected, based in part on press 
interviews with some Supreme Court Justices, that the Supreme Court 
would also rule on this issue in favor of decriminalizing possession 
for personal use.  The ruling has yet to be issued. 
 
8. (SBU) A proposal from the national government to legislate 
decriminalization of narcotics possession for personal consumption 
has not found a legislative champion to date.  No bill has been 
introduced in the Congress, and several groups, including the 
Government's own Office of Drug Policy and Demand Reduction, 
SEDRONAR, have objected to the idea. 
 
Consumption Up 
-------------- 
 
9. (SBU) Argentine press gave extensive coverage to the 2009 UNODC 
Annual Drug Report, particularly to information that marijuana use 
among high school students in Argentina had jumped from a 3.5% 
prevalence rate in 2001 to 8.1% in 2007.  Health and education 
officials blamed the lack of full extracurricular programs for kids 
and absence of effective drug education programs for the rise.  The 
UNODC report also noted that Argentina had the highest cocaine 
prevalence rate in South America, which at 2.67% of the population 
aged 15-64 is now  approaching the U.S. 2.8% rate.  Argentina is the 
second largest cocaine market in South America, at 660,000 persons, 
behind only the much more populous Brazil (890,000 persons). 
 
II. Program Discussion 
 
10. (U) Utilizing significant past year monies, INL programs 
incurred US$144,802 during the first half of 2009.  Programs were as 
follows: 
 
 
-- One-year rent for Northern Border Task Force, Salta, US$24,000, 
with FY 2007 INCLE money.  This is the first of two years 
INL-approved rent payments for the NBTF.  We are encouraging the 
Gendarmeria and Salta Police to plan for funding their own 
facilities after this period.  The NBTF continues to be our most 
effective drug interdiction partner, positioned as it is to develop 
and react to information on cocaine trafficking from Bolivia. 
 
-- Centers for Drug Information (CDI) Training Conference in Salta, 
April 27-May 1, US$ 31,583, with FY 2006 and FY 2007 INCLE funds. 
Following Bolivia's expulsion of the DEA, Embassy proposed to 
Minister of Justice Anibal Fernandez that the Argentine Federal 
Police (PFA) host the Southern Cone CDI that had been previously 
supported by the Government of Bolivia.  Fernandez and the PFA 
accepted this responsibility.  The April training was designed to 
introduce key Argentine officials to CDI capabilities and management 
and to bring together regional Southern Cone officials to encourage 
information exchange and cooperation.  Participants were pleased 
with the training by U.S.-based officials.  To date the PFA is 
making appropriate use of the CDI and facilitating the exchange of 
information within the region, operating out of its headquarters in 
Buenos Aires. 
 
-- Pen Link Software Purchase and Training, US$ 65,046, principally 
FY 2007 but some FY 2006 funds.  This INL-approved purchase provided 
four copies of the customized Pen-Link software to the 1) 
Gendarmeria/Northern Border Task Force (GNA/NBTF), 2) 
Gendarmeria/Eastern Border Task Force (GNA/EBTF), 3) the Federal 
Police (PFA), and 4) the Mendoza Provincial Police.  A training 
course in Buenos Aires was offered in late June to 15 officials from 
these four services.  The phone call and data analysis software will 
substantially expand Argentine law enforcement capabilities, and we 
anticipate effective collaboration and data sharing based on this 
analysis. 
 
-- Support for two Argentine participants in Colombia Jungle Command 
Course, US$5,801, with FY 2006 funds. 
 
-- Firearms and tactical training for Gendarmeria Nacional in 
Bariloche in May, 2009, for 25 trainees.  US$9,604, with FY 2006 
funds, provided by DEA. 
 
-- Firearms and tactical training for Buenos Aires Provincial Police 
and its Drug Enforcement Unit, in February, 2009, for 20 students. 
US$ 8,768, with FY 2007 funds. 
 
KELLY