Secr/t
7
he Colombian Government scored significant successes against the Cali drug mafia, capturing several mafiaGilberto and Miguel Rodriguez Orejuela and Jose Santacruzother top officials and key lieutenants.'
he Cali infrastructure continues to ship reduced levearrests of the top mafia officials is
probably-likely to keep the syndicate off-balance in ihe near term as the kingpins devote attention to the legal cases against them:
Nevertheless, the jailed Cali leaders remain in contact with their organizations and may be running trafficking operations from their jail
leu Sanlacmi Londono escaped Iron* prison on IIhis paper addresses virus In |
Thwarting Traffickers' Use of San Andres Island.
heightened security measures at San Andres airport and harbor facilities resulted in significantly decreased large-scale narcotics trafficking from the island andhift in air and maritime trafficking lo Colombia's north coast. The island has been an important transit point for aircraft and vessels transporting cocaine from Colombia to the Caribbean and Mexico, and in5 then-Defense Minister Botero publicly announced tbe security measures to meet US counternarcotics requirements.
Laundering Now Illegal. moneyrime.
June. President Samper signed. making
(the law alone is
insufficient to disrupt money-laundering operations and that additional measures will be needed.
Jieizures of finished estroyed in
were4 levels. Seizures of heroin and morphine increased, however, and police confiscated large quantities of precursor chemicals, according to Ipress reports, n
Despite pledges to do soogota failed to pass strong asset seizure and forfeiture legislationaritime boarding agreement thai would allow US officials to board Colombian vessels suspected of carrying narcotics.!-
legislation passed4 allows assets to be seized, but the
onstitution undermined the government's ability to force their forfeiture.
Meanwhile. Bogota saysaritime boarding agreement proposed| would violate the Colombian constitution, and formulation of an acceptable agreement has been delayed.
Efforts to Stymie Counterdrog Performance
Bogota's antidrug successes5 cameumber of hurdles:
In November, the government waseal with legislators who offered to pass decrees issued under President Samper's slate of
>er*T
Seizures Down, Asset Forfeiture Law Absent
Seyfel
had been ruled unconstitutional the previousin exchange for help inystem of anonymous judges often used in key drug-trafficking trials
In October, National Police Director Serrano, who directed operations against the kingpins, told US officials that he believed President Samper was working to have him removed from his position, in part because he was viewed as overly friendly with the United States.
Inhe wasull, four-yearGenera] Valdivieso told
that he believed ihe
administration was trying io undermine his prosecution of the captured Cali drug lords and his investigation of the President for accepting trafficker campaign funds.
Valdivieso also said that Attorney General Vasqucz worked hard to influence judges to deny the Prosecutorulljudge resigned after failing to persuade his colleagues to denounce Vasquez'sSamper's personal attorney also publicly attacked Valdivicso's credibility. While Samper, his attorney, andis under investigation for accepting traffickerprobably most interested in stalling the investigations against themselves, weakening Valdivieso would have undermined his efforts against drug traffickers as well.
Colombia's Congress also proved toignificant obstacle. In early December, the Colombian Senate voted to significantly dilute the illegal enrichmentbasis for some of ihe strongest cases against the drug lords.trong negative reaction from the Colombian public prevented the House of Representatives from supporting the Senate's vote, which also would have effectively ended Valdivicso's investigations of congressmen with alleged ties to drug traffickers.
subject: colombia: tllnmi piclidbu scores antiiinig
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