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19960826.2308-PE-DIA_296-97-VMT_Vaticano-EXCISED-.pdf

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BODV
PASS: (U)
COUNTRY: (U) PERU (PE).
SUBJ: IIR P'~2j,(fiX3):lOUSC424,,;!;i_ rJAILED DRUG LORD "VATICANO" ALLEGES
TIES WITH VlADIMIRO (CMONTESINOS», DE FACTO SIN CHIEF -
LASER STRIKE (U)
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WARNING: (U) THIS IS AN INFORMATION REPORT, NOT FINALLV
EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE. REPORT CLASSIFIED
! ! e rt !

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

001: (U) 960817-960819.

SOURCE: A. (U) DAILY NEWSPAPER, "EL COMERCIO", LIMA,

PERU, 960817-960819 CUl, IN SPANISH. THE CONSERVATIVE.
INFLUENTIAL PAPER, WITH A CIRCULATION OF ABOUT 87,000, IS
THE PRESTIGIOUS PAPER OF RECORD FOR THE PERUVIAN ELITE. I
LEADS IN LIMA AND NATIONAL READERSHIP.
B. (U) DAILY NEWSPAPER, "LA REPUBLICA", LIMA, PERU,
960817-960819 (U), IN SPANISH. THE LEFT-OF-CENTER TREND-SETTER, WITH A
CIRCULATION OF ABOUT 52,000. IS THIRD IN LIMA
AND NATIONAL READERSHIP. IT LEADS THE ANTI-FUJIMORI
SENTIMENT IN THE DAILV PRESS.
SUMMARY: (U) JAILED DRUG LORD "VATICANO" ALLEGES DRUG TIES
TO SIN DE FACTO CHIEF (CMONTESINOS», INCLUDING PAYING USD
50 THOUSAND MONTHLY TO OPERATE FREELY IN CAMPANILLA.
POLITICAL, POLICE, AND MILITARY SUPPORTERS OF MONTESINOS
CALL THE STORY A HOAX. OPPOSITION CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION.
TEXT: 1. (U) ACCORDING TO SOURCES A AND S, ON 960816'
DEMETRIO L. ((CHAVEZ)) PENAHERRERA, AKA "VATICANO,"
TESTIFIED BEFORE JUDGES IN THE PRESENCE OF THE MEDIA DURING
HIS ONGOING TRIAL FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING THAT DURING 1991 AND
1992 HE CONDUCTED DRUG OPERATIONS WITH THE ACQUIESCENCE OF
THE NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE SERVICE (SERVICIO DE INTELIGENCIA
NACIONAL - SIN), SPECIFICALLY WITH THE PROT~CTION OF THE DE
FACTO CHIEF OF THE SIN AND PRESIDENTIAL ADVISOR, YLADIMIRO
(CMONTESINOS)) TORRES.

2. (U) IN HIS TESTIMONV, PART OF WHICH IS COVERED IN BOTH

SOURCES, VATICANO CLAIMS TO HAVE PAID USD 50 THOUSAND
MONTHLY DURING 1991 TO MONTESINOS VIA AN INTERMEDIARY, AKA
"CAPULINA" OR "ROGER," WHO WORKED AT THE COUNTERSUBVERSIVE
BASE OF PUNTA ARENAS. VATicANO CLAIMED THE FIRST PAYMENT
OCCURRED WITH MONTESINOS PRESENT 'AT THE HOME OF THE FATHER
OF "CAPULINA" IN THE DISTRICT OF SAN BORJA IN THE CAPITAL.
SOURCE A ARTICLE OF 960818 REPORTED THAT MILITARY SOURCES,
WHO OPTED TO REMAIN ANONVMOUS, HAD IDENTIFIED "CAPULINA" AS
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ARMY LT RAFAEL FRANCO DE LA CUBA, WHO SERVED AS THE
COMMANDER OF THE PUNTA ARENAS COUNTERSUBVERSIVE BASE DURING
1991 AND 1992~ THE SAME ARTICLE ADDS THAT THE SAME MILITARY
SOURCE SAID THAT LT FRANCO LEFT PUNTA ARENAS TO WORK AT THE,
ARMY AVIATION UNIT WHERE FRANCO BEFRIENDED SEVERAL ARMY
HELICOPTER PILOTS WHO WERE HELD IN MILITARY CUSTODY, ACCUSED
OF TRANSPORTING DRUGS ON THEIR AIRCRAFT.
3. (U) SOURCES REPORTED THAT IN EXCHANGE FOR THE PAYMENT,
VATICANO CLAIMS HE WAS ALLOWED TO OPERATE IN THE AREA OF
CAMPANILLA UNIMPEDED BY SECURITY FORCES. HE WAS ALSO
PROVIDED A FREQUENCY, 10,000 (NFl), WHICH HE USED DAILY
BETWEEN 1800 AND 1900 HOURS TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE SIN.
DURING RADIO CONVERSATIONS WITH "RUBEN," WHO VATICANO
DESCRIBED AS MONTESINOS, VATICANO SAID HE RECEIVED
INFORMATION SUCH AS ROUTES AND SCHEDULES OF COUNTERNARCOTICS
OPERATIONS.
4. (U) VATICANO CLAIMS TO HAVE PAID THE BRIBE UNTIL 920800
WHEN THE PRICE WAS DOUBLED, WHICH HE REFUSED -TO PAY.
THEREAFTER, VATICANO CLAIMS HE MOVED TO COLOMBIA FROM WHERE
HE CONDUCTED HIS OPERATIONS BUT WAS DENIED CONTINUED USE OF
THE AIRSTRIP AT CAMPANILLA.
5. (U) IN OTHER TESTIMONY, VATICANO SAID HE KNEW OF
ANOTHER DRUG TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATION, THAT OF "CHINO
JORGE," WHICH OPERATED OUT OF UCHIZA AND WHICH ALSO HAD TIES
TO MONTESINOS.
6. (U) ACCORDING TO SOURCE B, PROVIDING DETAILS OF AN
INCIDENT THAT OCCURRED AFTER HIS CAPTURE IN COLOMBIA IN 1994
AND ENSUING EXPULSION FOR USE OF FALSIFIED DOCUMENTS,
VATICANO SAID THAT AN ARMY COLONEL VISITED HIM IN PRISON IN
THE CALLAO NAVY BASE AND COERCED HIM INTO SIGNING A DOCUMENT
WHICH STATED THAT NO ARMY GENERALS WERE INVOLVED WITH
VATICANO IN THE DRUG TRAFFICKING BUSINESS. IN EXCHANGE, THE
COLONEL HAD OFFERED A REDUCED SENTENCE OF 30 YEARS
IMPRISONMENT VICE LIFE FOR VATICANO.
7. (U) IN ADDITION TO ALL THE ATTENTION THIS STORY HAS
RECEIVED IN THE PRESS, SEVERAL T.V. NEWSCASTS AND THREE OF
THE PRINCIPAL SUNDAY PUBLIC AFFAIRS PROGRAMS HAVE ALSO ,
EXTENSIVELY COVERED THIS ITEM. MANY H1GH LEVEL POLITICAL.
POLICE, AND MILITARY OFFICIALS HAVE PRONOUNCED THEMSELVES IN
SUPPORT OF MONTESINOS. THE LONG LIST OF MONTESINOS
SUPPORTERS INCLUDES THE MINISTER OF THE ECONOMY, THE
NATIONAL ATTORNEY GENERAL, THE DIRECTOR OF THE PERUVIAN'
NATIONAL POLICE (PNP), THE FORMER CHIEF OF THE
COUNTERTERRORISM DIRECTORATE IN THE PNP, ANn THE PRESIDENT
OF THE JOINT COMMAND OF THE ARMED FORCES. TO A PERSON,
THESE OFFICIALS HAVE EXPRESSED SUPPORT FOR MONTESINOS AND
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QUESTIONED VATICANO'S CREDIBILITY. ALL OF THEM QUESTION WHY
VATICANO WAITED OVER TWO YEARS, FROM HIS CAPTURE IN COLOMBIA
IN 940100 UNTIL LAST WEEK, TO IMPLICATE MONTESINOS.
VATICANO'S LAWYER CLAIMS HIS CLIENT EXPECTED TO RECEIVE
BETTER TREATMENT THAN HE HAS TO DATE IN EXCHANGE FOR HIS
SILENCE. GIVEN THE TERMS AND HARSH CIRCUMSTANCES OF HIS
IMPRISONMENT, VATICANO FINALLY DECIDED TO TALK.

2. (U) ~ CANNOT DETERMINE IF THE SOURCES WILL CONTINUE

REPORTING ON INFORMATION CONCERNING THE CONTENTS OF THE IIR.

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//IPSP: (U) /.
ADMIN
INSTR:
PREP:
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BT (b)(2),(b)(3):1
o USC 424

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