Forty police officers are under investigation after Paraguay’s anti-drug unit made a record-breaking marijuana seizure, in a case that underscores how endemic corruption has historically frustrated anti-trafficking operations and sowed distrust among authorities.
The officers under investigation were working in five outposts located along the trafficking route used by a procession of vehicles intercepted with more than 88 tons of marijuana in Paraguay’s Canindeyú department on December 4 as part of Operation Umbral.
“A historic record has been broken. Last year, 57,000 kilograms were seized in Operation Marangatu, and Operation Umbral has far exceeded that figure,” Jalil Rachid, head of Paraguay’s National Anti-Drug Secretariat (Secretaría Nacional Antidrogas – SENAD), said in a video posted on social media.
The national police’s anti-narcotics department is charged with gathering intelligence and analyzing data to establish strategies and conduct anti-trafficking operations as part of the Public Prosecutor’s Office. SENAD is an independent ministry “responsible for coordinating and implementing national drug policy in the fight against drug trafficking [and] organized crime.”
SENAD agents supported by the army’s Internal Defense Operations Command (Comando de Operaciones de Defensa Interna – CODI) followed the convoy for 120 kilometers past 11 police stations, according to Rachid.
The vehicles were packed to the brim with no attempt to camouflage the illicit cargo, yet were never stopped or inspected by police, according to officials. In fact, the route looked as though it had been cleared by police to let the traffickers pass through, Rachid told local media outlet ABC.
When anti-drug authorities moved in to seize the massive shipment, a shootout ensued. One suspect was killed in the firefight and another was injured.
In addition to the marijuana, authorities arrested five suspects, including a retired police officer. They also found the ID of a police chief in the area where the suspected traffickers tried to make an escape. The police chief said he participated in the operation and that his ID had fallen out of his pocket.
The national police were not involved in the operation and did not receive intelligence about the mission, the head of the institution, Carlos Benítez, told local media.
Whole Body Infection
While the recent seizure marked an important win for law enforcement, corruption within Paraguay’s police force has prevented similar efforts to effectively combat drug trafficking – and in some cases even facilitated it.
Paraguay’s police force has long been implicated in drug trafficking operations in Canindeyú, a key marijuana-producing region. In the past, lower level officers have been accused of accepting bribes from traffickers in order to pay their superiors a monthly quota.
SEE ALSO: Widespread Police Bribery Network in Paraguay Marijuana Hub
That case was far from an outlier. Police officers working at all levels of the institution have been implicated in corruption scandals over the years. Ester Roa, an anti-corruption and transparency attorney at the Paraguayan Lawyers’ Association, said this underscores just how bad the country’s corruption problem has become in recent years.
“SENAD often does its job, but it doesn’t have the support of the Public Prosecutor’s Office [which includes the national police] or the Attorney General’s Office,” Roa told InSight Crime.
Widespread police corruption has sowed distrust with key crime-fighting partners, as evidenced by SENAD’s recent operation.
Internal Tensions
The lack of trust between agencies poses a significant obstacle to intelligence sharing and the joint fight against drug trafficking.
“There is a lot of mistrust, and that mistrust … is as if they were fighting among themselves,” said Roa.
SEE ALSO: Paraguay Anti-Marijuana Operations Barely Dent Production in Amambay
The SENAD is a specialized unit that operates with a much smaller budget and less personnel than other law enforcement agencies. While the recent marijuana seizure was a success, the lack of intelligence sharing and cooperation with the police puts fighting a massive drug trafficking problem on the shoulders of a relatively small institution that has faced its own accusations of illicit ties.
Keeping intelligence in house has led to issues prosecuting cases, with cracks appearing throughout the legal process. “To combat organized crime here in Paraguay, I see no harmonious, secure, technical, or legal work to ensure that these cases or proceedings end with a conviction,” said Roa.
Improved official cooperation is especially crucial to Paraguay’s anti-crime fight as criminal organizations become more complex and increase cooperation amongst themselves, making comprehensive approaches more necessary.
Featured image: Authorities in Paraguay seized a record marijuana shipment. Credit: Anti-drug police (SENAD)