Southern Pulse | Networked Intelligence

Iran

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will visit Brazil in November 2009 in an effort to strengthen bilateral ties. The two nations also plan to discuss international, economic, and cultural issues.

On 5 October 2009, authorities seized the second largest shipment of chemicals used for manufacturing synthetic drugs at the port of Manzanillo, state of Colima. The container originated in India and was loaded with approximately 20 metric tons of phenyl acetic acid, a substitute for pseudoephedrine.

Mexican soldiers seized 15 gel explosives in the Tacambaro municipality of Michoacan on 6 October 2009.

756 organized crime-related homicides were reported in September 2009, the most of any month this year, 360 of which occurred in Chihuahua, 112 in Sinaloa, 74 in Durango and 55 in Guerrero. Of the 5,479 total homicides reported in the country this year, 2,331 occurred in Chihuahua, 609 in Sinaloa, 586 in Durango and 465 in Guerrero (October 2009).

Guatemalan security forces have seized a total of US$1,937,700 from Mexican criminal organizations during 2009 within the country. Guatemala’s Ministry of Interior, Raul Velasquez, recently stated that he believes Mexican cartels are shifting their operational bases to Guatemala. (October 2009)

Judges ordered the release of over 20 members of the Mara Salvatrucha in recent weeks due to inconsistencies in the testimonies against them. In three months, over 130 gang members have been released for similar reasons. Police also believe that the men extorting bus drivers on the 117 route are the same ones that were released a few weeks ago. (October 2009)

Honduran soldiers beat Delmer Membreno, a photojournalist from the La Libertador newspaper, on 28 September 2009. He was kidnapped, beaten, and told that if the newspaper continued “acting out” they were going to kill Jhony Lagos, the newspaper’s director.

Honduran authorities captured over 12 narco-planes during September 2009. The planes are often carrying over 2000 kilos of cocaine. The planes take off from legitimate airports with legitimate papers, land in some clandestine field where they are loaded with drugs and given new forged papers and then land in a destination different than their original “intended” destination. (October 2009)

A plane carrying narcotics landed in a hidden airfield by Cosuna and Ciriboya on 5 October 2009. The plane was burned by its crew after a brief firefight with authorities. The air force is having a hard time fighting these illegal flights due to problems with their radar.

The U.S. government will reactivate a radar system located in Guanacaste to combat the drug trade. The radar system will assist in the detection of narcoplanes and narcoboats. (October 2009)

Authorities arrested Walberto Salazar Cuero, a member of FARC, upon his return to Costa Rica after a six-month absence. It is believed that he used the fishing company he owned to help smuggle drugs into Costa Rica. On 8 December 2008, Costa Rican authorities had deciphered a message intended for him which led to a large drug bust. (October 2009)

The homicide rate in Venezuela has increased since 1999, the first year Hugo Chávez entered office. One source reports that there were 14,589 murders in Venezuela in 2008. Caracas is currently the second most dangerous city in the world (October 2009).

Ecuador said on 7 October 2009 that it will work with Colombia to arrest FARC rebels operating in Ecuadorian territory. President Correa said that Colombia should identify where the rebels are, and Ecuador will capture them. Colombian President Alvaro Uribe praised Ecuador for its efforts.

Colombian authorities confirmed on 6 October 2009 the presence of two FARC camps in Ecuadorian territory. They did not specify the location or size of the camps.

Peruvian authorities captured Sendero Luminoso member Artemio Silva Huamanta, aka ‘Camarada Leo’, at km 49 along the Central Highway on 8 October 2009 while traveling with his partner on a regional bus toward Lima. The two were headed to Lima to purchase AKM rifles.

Brazil announced on 4 October 2009 plans to buy US$10 billion in IMF two-year bonds. The move would make Brazil a net creditor to the IMF. Brazil will purchase the bonds dominated in IMF special drawing rights, with quarterly interest payments based on the weighted average of the short-term rate — currently 0.25 percent — in the United States, the United Kingdom, the Eurozone and Japan.