LATIN AMERICA: DEVELOPING MORE EFFECTIVE ANTINARCOTICS TACTICS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP08-00705R000100250004-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 23, 2014
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: April 5, 1988
• Content Type: MEMO

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Central Intelligence Agency
MgliagmDC210505
DIRECTORATE OF INTELLIGENCE
5 April 1988
Latin America: Developing More Effective Antinarcotics Tactics
Summary
The drug war in Latin America remains an uphill battle, but
growing international pressure for more effective action has, we
believe, spawned intensified efforts within individual countries
to make them less hospitable to the narcotics industry. In our
judgment, these efforts are noteworthy especially insofar as they
may foreshadow the evolution of broader, more integrated country
or even regional strategies that over time could seriously hobble
drug interests. Moreover, a number of the tactics currently
being utilized by individual governments appear to us to have
significant application elsewhere in the region.
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This memorandum was prepared by the Narcotics Assessments
Branch, International Narcotics Division, Office of Global
Issues. Information available as of 4 April 1988 was used in the
preparation of this memorandum. Comments may be directed to the
Chief, International Narcotics Division, 25X1
GI M 88-20034
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Latin America: Developing More Effective Antinarcotics Tactics
The United States and its Latin American neighbors are
without question fighting uphill against a narcotics industry
that continues to expand and fragment. Although these
developments have left authorities struggling to keep pace, they
have also sparked greater international awareness of the problem,
especially of the political and social damage brought on by an
unchecked drug industry. As a result, we are witnessing an ever-
broadening drug control effort as one Latin American government
after another begins implementing, for the first time,
fundamental initiatives aimed at disrupting drug supplies. No
country has yet put together a strategy or mustered the resources
necessary to cripple the narcotics traffickers who operate within
its borders, but we believe there have been some noteworthy
trends in interdiction, eradication, legal reform, ;and other
areas (see the Appendix). In our judgement, increasing these
efforts may, over time, help reduce the options currently
available to drug traffickers and do much to build and strengthen
the institutions that governments ultimately will require to
immobilize the drug kingpins who finance and manage the trade.
Lessons Learned
The experiences of many of the individual countries provide
lessons that we believe can be transferred to improve--no matter
how marginally--antinarcotics operations in other Latin American
countries. Interdiction, for instance, is one area where many of
the countries can profit by following Colombia's example of
unifying the various national narcotics enforcement entities
under a streamlined command. In addition to the advantages of
making operations more efficient, limiting the number of people
in the command also reduces the risks of intelligence leaks,
thereby improving the changes of making bigger seizures and
hitting more important targets.
Crop suppression is a risky and expensive drug control
option, as LaPaz and Lima, for example, are increasingly aware.
Nevertheless, progress by Ecuador in recent years demonstrates
that efforts can be broadened if governments plan their
operations carefully. Crop suppression can succeed, for
instance, if authorities are willing to use coercion--in the form
of manual or herbicidal eradication--to back up whatever
developmental or monetary carrots they offer to entice growers
away from drug production. Governments may be able to buttress
these tactics by targeting cultivation in areas already under
their control, or where cultivation is so limited that it does
not affect a large portion of the local population or economy.
GI M 88-20034
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Legal reforms, An our judgment, are fundamental to improving
Latin America's long term efforts against the entrenched drug
industry. They provide the regionwide foundation necessary for
authorities to move beyond strategies based simply on seizures,
to ones aimed at prosecuting the highest-level traffickers who
manage and finance the trade. Although there is a growing
awareness of this-need, movement among the Latin American
countries has been uneven. Most still lack conspiracy and asset
forfeiture laws; these could be combined with improved tax,
customs, and currency regulations to form a broader legal web
against the drug kingpins. In furtherance of this goal, Colombia
has set an important example by creating special narcotics courts
in an attempt to break drug cases away from the log jam of
investigations that, typical of Latin American judiciaries, clog
the courts. Other promising options include the introduction of
plea bargaining and the-use of rewards as ways of developing
evidence and testimony against important traffickers. Among the
benefits of such moves would be a limitation of the discretion
judges have in selecting cases and speeding up prosecution,
greatly diminishing, in turn, the ability of traffickers to
influence verdicts through bribery and intimidation.
Along these lines, there are additional opportunities to
elevate the status and improve the coordination of overall
antidrug efforts. Ecuador, for instance, has found that
designating a drug "czar," with direct access to the President,
is a valuable way to ensure oversight of all counter-narcotics
programs. A major part of any improved legal effort would also
include the development of an elite corps of investigators with
special training in complex conspiracy and asset forfeiture laws,
to work closely with judges prosecuting the top traffickers.
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Following the Dominican Republic's lead, governments have an
opportunity to highlight the drug threat by stepping up exposure
and prosecution of officials with corrupt ties to the drug
industry. A steady stream of highly-publicized investigations of
corrupt officials would serve as a constant public reminder that
traffickers are an insidious threat to key institutions and as a
deterrent to further malfeasance at all levels of the
government.
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Underlying all the governmental reforms is the need to
stimulate public awareness of the dangers trafficking
organizations pose to political and social institutions and, as
in Jamaica, to the economic infrastructure. National seminars
that bring together leading opinion makers, jurists, and law
enforcement officials have already been used to develop
consensus, set goals, and plan unified efforts in many key drug
countries around the world. Such seminars would be beneficial to
nearly every Latin American country. 25X1
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Appendix
Positive Trends in Latin American Counternarcotics Efforts
Colombia
Eradication: Marijuana spraying, begun in 1984, one of most
successful anywhere; helicopters deployed over
sparsely settled areas have cut production in the
leading growing area from 13,000 to 2,000 metric
tons; government also conducting limited tests
for coca herbicide, although experiments
currently stalled.
Interdiction: Reorganization/streamlining of narcotics police
improving seizures and destruction of processing
labs; both rates up 250 percent since 1986;
successes also reflect Air Force support for lab
raids and Navy participation in interdiction.
Legal: WOrld leader in extraditions from 1985 to 1987;
comprehensive antidrug laws in 1986 include stiff
penalties and first-time-ever provisions
permitting limited use of plea bargaining, asset
forfeiture, and conspiracy.
Other: Bogota increasingly taking lead in international
fora to warn of dangers of unchecked drug trade;
increasing diplomatic contacts with Ecuador,
Peru, Brazil, and Venezuela to improve regional
cooperation; participating in secure
communications network to share narcotics
intelligence regionwide.
Peru
Eradication:
Interdiction:
Other:
Government initiated testing of herbicides for
coca eradication late 1987; efforts underway for
wider applications.
Some 7,000 drug-related arrests in 1987, but
narcotics production in Upper Huallaga Valley
proving virtually immune.
Public prosecutors receiving extensive training
in handling drug-related cases under USAID
project; Ministry of Justice studying ways t
strengthen drug laws.
USAID sponsoring public drug awareness/abuse
campaign; also sponsoring project to develop
legitimate agriculture in Upper Huallaga Valley;
project includes establishment of agricultural
development service, improvement of roads, and
other services to help rehabilitate land
previously used for coca growing.
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Bolivia
Eradication: Following Bolivia's failure to meet certification
deadlines, government offering coca growers
$2,000 indemnity per hectare for eradication;
also offering credits at low interest to promote
development of licit agriculture.
Interdiction:
Legal:
Other:
US-sponsored mobile training team increased
expertise of 60-80 special troops in field
operations, small unit tactics, map reading, and
communications; seizures up dramatically,
including 6,500 kilograms of coca products and
destruction of some 1,100 processing facilities.
Tougher law currently under consideration
includes provisions for conspiracy, minimum
sentences, and establishment of three-judge
narcotics courts.
Government developing small group of vetted
investigators to work directly with DEA in
developing cases against major trafficking
organizations.
Ecuador
Eradication: National police, aided heavily by US, have
eradicated some 700 hectares of coca along border
with Colombia; coca production virtually
eliminated at this time.
Interdiction: National police 400-man narcotics division
relatively corruption-free, motivated; use of
helicopters on loan from Army or US showing
positive results; police riverine antidrug
program just starting.
New drug law in 1987 reaffirmed illegality of
coca production/processing; antidrug law to
control imports of precursor chemicals recently
drafted, although prognosis for passage is poor;
legal system remains corrupt.
Other: Establishment of drug "czar" has been key factor
in recent cooperation between military and
national police in antidrug operations; Ecuador
has dedicated, intelligent, and honest people
heading police and some key government ministries
involved in the war on drugs.
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Brazil
Eradication: Improving cooperation/coordination between police
and military�especially Air Force�has tripled
marijuana eradication, destruction of seedlings
during last year; similar cooperation in 30-day-
long effort against coca yielded similar results.
Interdiction: Improved scrutiny at airports disrupting drug
smuggling into US; stepped up police efforts also
interdicted some 800 kilograms of cocaine and 300
kilograms of coca base, as well as 33,000 liters
of ether and other processing chemicals last
year.
Legal: Explicit laws on books outlawing production,
refining, use, and trafficking of illicit
narcotics; proceeds from all forfeited property
turned over to federal Drug Council for use in
antinarcotics efforts.
Other: Taxpayers permitted to designate portions of
taxes for antinarcotics efforts; private
contributions can be made in support of specific
drug programs.
Venezuela
Eradication: Increasing sensitivity to issue and willingness
to act on US advice spurring eradication, with
both coca and marijuana eradication increasing
over the past year; more effective eradication
efforts on Colombian side of border, however,
leading to increased cultivation in Venezuela.
Interdiction: US.training, increased cooperation among National
Guard, Army, and Air Force units, and growing
numbers of personnel involved in interdiction
paying dividends; DEA training of police task
forces for airports showing good results; other
efforts by National Guard focusing on road and
seaport interdiction also promising.
Legal: Narcotics laws being studied in hopes of plugging
loopholes; Justice Ministry to introduce
proposals on money laundering controls.
Other:
Increasing emphasis on regional cooperation;
accord signed last year with Trinidad and Tobago
on prevention, control, suppression of drug
trafficking; agreement signed with Brazil to
cooperate against trafficking along common
border.
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Mexico
Eradication: Aerial eradication efforts from 1978 to 1982
showed great promise, eliminating an estimated 70
percent of total opium crop and smaller but still
substantial portion of the marijuana harvest;
since 1982, effort hampered by competition
between Attorney General's office--responsible
for aerial campaign--and military; in 1987, an
estimated 800 hectares of opium--some 12 percent
of total crop--eradicated.
Interdiction:
Other:
Seizures of heroin, opium, cocaine, and marijuana
continue to rise; cocaine seizures reported up
250 percent between 1985 and 1986; 66 metric bons
of marijuana intercepted during same period;
widescale use of military, with up to half of its
105,000 active duty troops dedicated to
antinarcotics efforts when special operations are
underway.
Rules of criminal procedure modified in 1987 to
permit preemptory seizure of drug traffickers'
property and financial assets; Mutual Legal
Assistance treaty signed with Washington to
enhance bilateral cooperation on criminal
matters; extradition treaty with Washington
signed in 1978, but Mexico's interpretation of
its Constitution effectively precludes
extradition of its nationals.
Increasing domestic impact of illicit narcotics
activities prompted recent creation of
government-sponsored antidrug program; primary
emphasis on prevention through increased public
awareness rather than on rehabilitation.
The Caribbean: Jamaica, Dominican Republic
Eradication:
Interdiction:
Encouraging results of US-backed manual
eradication of marijuana in Jamaica; some 1,330
hectares planted in 1987, down dramatically from
the 4,800 hectares in 1986; eradication helped by
strong public relations program emphasizing long-
term economic and environmental effects of
continued cultivation.
Stepped up effort in Jamaica has resulted in
recent seizures of numerous clandestine
airstrips, some 215 metric bons of marijuana, and
small quantities of cocaine; use of mobile radars
designed to track air smuggling likely to
continue disrupting trafficking.
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Legal:
Other:
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In Dominican Republic, the Joint Information
Coordination Center proving a valuable resource
in investigating trafficking; supported by a
radar that has been instrumental in drug
seizures; efforts enhanced by use of military
aircraft and vessels supplied by United States.
Jamaicandrug law recently amended to broaden
definition of narcotics offenses; penalties
increased for drug trafficking; government also
revising asset forfeiture legislation.
Supreme Court in Dominican Republic cracking down
on corruption; efforts include removal of a lower
courX judge; legislature increasingly concerned
over judicial corruption and inefficiency and is
intensifying scrutiny of judicial candidates.
Growing emphasis on regional cooperation;
Dominican Republic using the Joint Information
Ooordination Center to establish training academy
designed to improve unilateral and other
antinarcotics operations; Haitian officials
recently participated in narcotics/customs course
held at academy.
a
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