Fumigation in Panama    Reported October, 1993

FOIA response from DIA:  A State Department document on US-sponsored Panamanian fumigation   Click on thumbnail to expand  MARCH REPORT  APRIL REPORT

SUBJECT:  [REDACTED] MORE COCA PLANTATIONS IN THE DARIEN

WARNING: (U) THIS IS AN INFORMATION REPORT, NOT FINALLY EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE.  REPORT CLASSIFIED.

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
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DOI: (U) 931887

REQS (U) [REDACTED WORDS]

SOURCE:  [REDACTED PARAGRAPH]

SUMMARY:  NATIONAL AIR SERVICE RECONNAISSANCE FLIGHT FINDS THE FARMING OF COCA PLANTS TO BE SPREADING IN THE DARIEN ALONG PANAMANIAN/COLOMBIAN BORDER [REDACTED SENTENCE].

TEXT: 1.  [REDACTED PARAGRAPH] DEPICTED LARGE EXPANSES OF WHAT APPEARED TO BE COCA PLANTS WHICH [REDACTED WORDS] COVERED APPROXIMATELY 388 HECTARES (APPROXIMATELY 758 ACRES) BEING GROWN ABOUT 25 KM NORTH OF THE AREA WHERE A PREVIOUS COCA ERADICATION EFFORT OCCURRED IN APRIL OF THIS YEAR. [REDACTED PARAGRAPH]

2.  [PARAGRAPH REDACTED]

3.  [REDACTED PARAGRAPH]

 COMMENTS: 1  [REDACTED WORDS] THE SAN CONTINUES ITS AGGRESSIVE EFFORTS TO PLAY A ROLE IN THE COUNTER-DRUG FIGHT.  THE RECENT APPROVAL OF TRAINING FOR THE SAN WITH STATE DEPARTMENT INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS MATTERS FUNDS WILL BE A BIG BOOST TO THE SAN AND ITS PERSONNEL.  WITH TRAINING AND RESOURCES TO SUPPORT ITS LIMITED FLEET, THE SAN CAN BECOME AN IMPORTANT PLAYER IN PANAMA'S OVERALL CD EFFORT.

2.  [REDACTED SENTENCE] CONTINUES A DISTURBING TREND OF THE CROSS-BORDER PROBLEMS PANAMA FACES IN THIS ISOLATED AND DIFFICULT AREA.  ALTHOUGH PARTICIPATION BY LOCAL PANAMANIAN INDIGENOUS PERSONS IS LIKELY, [REDACTED WORDS]  THE REAL IMPETUS FOR THIS GROWTH COMES FROM THE COLOMBIAN SIDE OF THE BORDER. PANAMA HAS STARTED TALKS WITH ITS COLOMBIAN LAW ENFORCEMENT COUNTERPARTS [REDACTED WORDS] AND IT IS EXPECTED THIS TOPIC WILL BECOME A FRONT-BURNER ITEM OVER TIME.

3. [REDACTED PARAGRAPH]

END