UNCLASSIFIED • UqitrJ Statea Deparbnent or State ' _ l- ' s i Jer t clc Nal NGTCOdc r • D C 20520 1 3A Naci n 1 I ' Michael A Wermuth Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Drug Enforcement Policy Pentagon Room 2E538 W shington D C 20301-1510 • • • RELEASED 4 ·•· i D ar Mike · At the September 13 Core Group meetir Ri- 'f 11 expressed some remaining concerns about the NBRF prograrr -·f _'pelieve I can allay • •• ' tfiose concerns I •• t • • ' •• The Government of Mexico GOM has prQVPP ltself a dependable partner in the anti-drug effort proven tq iit is prepared to make the financial and physical sacrifices to m9¥e phead • d proven that it can absorb the additional assets we·believe are necessary to increase the impact of its air interqict pij effort The Embassy aJld USG agencies which work most close1y· wiEq 1 Mexico and with this e fort are completely satisfied that th opef ional concept plan h s proved to be effective_tnd thus vaJi l ' s rv sb i ti e 0 t1 f mtme and gt f • information to the Tactical Analysie · i · ·iTAT at • • • • 3 l1a Y J f l - · _· -1 ii The E assr and the GOM_ have establj hed jtfe tive i comrnun1cat1ons channels o relay t ation 'j The GOM launches fixed-wing aircraft tc f intercept and trac f f ' Jl suspect targets - ' • - •1 i - - _ I 1 J fl i • - - ' ' Helicofters - re alerted and launched wht3l •fiOM offi _ia s S' • ' dete mine they could in ercept suspe raft at 1proje cted c J landing s1 tes ·- i • J ·· · l -- -r'i -- j s As soon as the landing ite identJfi - to begin h e · criminal investigation nd gather i rel ' nce - - - - - -- ·· '· t · f - '1 ' · · • ·e ·fr ' •• •I -- ·-·· i · _I N '- · _ -- ·-- United States Department of State Office of FU Privacy Cla fication Review Review Authority OLSON CS AR Date 02 28 96 Case ID 9200449B • t he USG detection and monitoring sy te° · ij1Jccessfullf p S WJ '- l UNCL SSIFIED I JI • j •• - -- ··------·-----J i J ---------------•······--- - - - • ····-----·- -- - -- - • •- •-- - --- -· - --· • • • · I UNCLASSIFIED • Tona of cocaine have be n spized and QJfCQ-traffickers have been arrested the arrest rfte has inpf'- ed notably with the increased use of helicopte s 'j Beyond validation of the concept we have seen broader results When the traffick rs began to suffer losses to the BRF Halcon teams in northern M xico it fo r9i them to move their operations south The flextble response 9 • allowed the GOM to r reposition operating bases o counter shlJ tq narcotrafficking patterns c • There is no doubt that dditional asset jill enhance the program•• ability to respond and successfuljy Jnterdict drug t afficker11 I believe it is time for us t iliPve forward on plans to deliver the nezt 12 helh opters in the JJtll quarter of PY-92 • 4 I have asked the Embassy to amplify 1t ei iodic reporting on NBRF operations which I ho e will assi nitor their PfOgress ·_ •ff on a related matter I thank you or atfJUl9ing -the temporary duty assignment of three talented off1ce 1 tfQ the Center foi Low Iptensity Conflict CLIC to assist the P rµ ipforcement Administration in developin9 the •NBRF Diagpostic Checklist• I hpve reviewed the checklist and believe it can serve many purposes I commend the CLIC team members fof what is clearly t e product of a lot of hard work and qareful • thought · The checklist will assist the U S imbasqy and the GOM improve overall program management and effectiv ness t I was particularly pJeased to read in the accompanying repq t t team's favorable r view of the NBRF • s operatJonal concept an 1 t Jan • Again thank you for your continued pupgQ tt of this most if lportant national security endeavor · - -- ± ' •• if- Sinc fel ' · _ 'I_ _ ' Melvyn L vlt ky - · f • UNCiiASSIFIED ' • - - i Drafted INM P EFCarro1V lJELASSJFIED WPPEFC 11 Pgs 56-57 Cleared INM P RCPerry ARA MEX RHoward ARA DHrinak UNCLASSIFIED r