UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No M-2008-01078 Doc No C17569148 Date 01 0912014 Current Class SECRET Current Handling EXDIS Document Number 1993B000TA19212 Channel n a SECRET PAGE 01 BOGOTA 19212 01 OF 02 1720502 ACTION SS-00 OOOW LOG-00 • OASY-00 ADS-00 ------------------11CDEE 0 171948Z DEC 93 INFO FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4610 INFO JCS WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1720SIZ 38 RELEASED IN PART 25X1 CIA WASHDC IMMEDIATE DEA WASHDC IMMEDIATE NSC WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE USCINCSO QUARRY HEIGHTS PM IMMEDIATE USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL IMMEDIATE DIRONDCP WASHDC IMMEDIATE DIRFBI WASHDC IMMEDIATE DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC IMMEDIATE DIRNSA FT GEORGE G MEADE MD G2 DCN LINEAR IMMEDIATE S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 BOGOTA 19212 SPECAT EXDIS ROUSING C PROVEN OPTION MESSAGE U DECAPTIONED STATE FOR ARA WATSON INM GELBARD ARA AND AND DS DSS ITA DS I CT JCS FOR GENERAL SHALIKASHUILI CIA FOR DIRECTOR WOOLSEY REVIEW AUTHORITY Oscar Olson Senior Reviewer DEA FOR GREEN NSC FOR TONY LAKE SECRET SECRET BOGOTA 19212 01 OF 02 17205OZ PAGE 02 USCINCSO FOR GENERAL WORTHINGTON Classification Extended - Class SECRET - Reason 026X1 USSOCOM FOR GENERAL DOWNING ONDCP FOR DIRECTOR BROWN E O 12356 DECL OADR PGOV ASEC SNAR -PTER CO TAGS SUBJECT GOMEZ PADILLA RESIGNS IMPACT ON FUTURE OPERATIONS AGAINST THE CALI CARTEL BOGOTA 18955 REF 1 SECRET - ENTIRE TEXT CONTROLS Current Class SECRET PARA 6 CARRIES ADDITIONAL Page 1 UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No M-2008-01078 Doc No C17569148 Date 01 09 2014 UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No M-2008-01078 Doc No C17569148 Date 01 09 2014 Page 2 Current Class SECRET Current Handling EXDIS Channel n a Document Number 1993BOGOTA19212 2 SUMMARY THE AMBASSADOR MET WITH COLOMBIAN NATIONAL POLICE DIRECTOR GENERAL MIGUEL GOMEZ PADILLA MID-DAY ON DECEMBER 16 WHO INFORMED HIM THAT PRESIDENT GAVIRIA HAD GOMEZ SAID ACCEPTED HIS RESIGNATION THE EVENING BEFORE THAT DEPUTY DIRECTOR GENERAL OCTAVIO VARGAS SILVA WOULD IN THIS ASSUME COMMAND OF THE CNP ON 17 DECEMBER LIGHT THE AMBASSADOR DISCUSSED WITH GOMEZ MINISTER OF DEFENSE PARDO'S PROPOSAL ON DECEMBER 10 TO CREATE A SMALL SPECIALIZED U S -SUPPORTED UNIT DESIGNED TO GOMEZ FELT THE TARGET AND CAPTURE THE CALI KINGPINS CONCEPT WAS EXACTLY RIGHT BUT EXPRESSED RESERVATIONS ABOUT VARGAS SILVA AND ADVISED THE AMBASSADOR TO WAIT UNTIL PARDO IS BACK ON THE JOB TO COORDINATE THE END SUMMARY EFFORT PARDO'S PROPOSAL SECRET PAGE 03 3 BOGOTA SECRET 19212 01 OF 02 IN A MEETING ON DECEMBER 10 1720502 PER REFTEL MOD PARDO OUTLINED FOR ME HIS CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS FOR HE STATED THAT EFFECTIVELY COMBATTING THE CALI CARTEL THE POLICE AND ARMY WOULD LAUNCH A MASSIVE OPERATION IN VALLE THE FOLLOWING WEEK TO SEARCH HUNDREDS OF RESIDENCES AND PROPERTIES BUT THAT THIS WOULD HE SAID ESSENTIALLY BE COVER FOR THE REAL OPERATION HE INTENDED TO CREATE A SMALL VERY SPECIALIZED UNIT OF VETTED POLYGRAPHED POLICE AND MILITARY OFFICERS POSSIBLY SOME 30 INDIVIDUALS TO PURSUE THE FOUR TOP HE KINGPINS AND THEIR PRINCIPAL 1115-20 LIEUTENANTS A ASKED FOR THE SAME TYPE OF U S SUPPORT--DEA E JSOC ELEMENTS--TO THIS UNIT AS HAD BEEN PROVIDED TO THE ANTI-ESCOBAR TASK FORCE BLOQUE DE BUSQUEDA IN MEDELLIN HE REQUESTED ASSISTANCE IN TRAINING THE UNIT AS WELL AS WITH OPERATIONS PLANNING AND INTELLIGENCE OPERATIONS PARDO SAID THAT ONLY HE THE PRESIDENT MYSELF AND GOMEZ PADILLA WOULD BE AWARE-OF THE CELL THE U S SUPPORT TO IT OR THE SPECIFIC TARGETS OF THEIR OPERATIONS --------------------GOMEZ PADILLA RESIGNS 25X1 --------------------- 4 THAT NIGHT AFTER OUR MEETING PARDO UNDERWENT Current Class SECRET Page 2 UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No M-2008-01078 Doc No C17569148 Date 01109 2014 UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No M-2008-01078 Doc No C17569148 Date 01 09 2014 Current Class SECRET Current Handling EXDIS Page 3 Document Number 1993BOGOTA19212 I Channel n a EMERGENCY OPEN-HEART SURGERY TO REPAIR A RUPTURED IN LIGHT OF PARDO'S CONDITION I WAITED UNTIL I AORTA COULD SPEAK'DIRECTLY WITH GOMEZ PADILLA WHO WAS IN PANAMA AT THE TIME WE MET ON DECEMBER 16 TO DETERMINE THE STATUS OF PLANS BOTH TO CARRY OUT THE LARGE-SCALE SECRET SECRET 01 OF 02 BOGOTA 19212 17205OZ PAGE 04 AS WE SAT OPERATION AND TO CREATE THE SMALLER UNIT DOWN GOMEZ PADILLA INFORMED ME OF HIS RESIGNATION I ASKED GOMEZ IF HE FELT THAT THE OPERATIONS IN CALI WOULD PROCEED ON SCHEDULE GIVEN PARDO'S ABSENCE AND HIS OWN HE REPLIED THAT THE GOC WOULD CARRY OUT RESIGNATION THE LARGE-SCALE OPERATION BUT THAT THIS WAS SIMPLY SMOKE DESIGNED TO SEND A SIGNAL HE SAID VARGAS WOULD COORDINATE THE OPERATIONS AN HE HAD NO DOUBT THEY SECRET NNNN SECRET PAGE 01 BOGOTA 19212 02 OF 02 172051Z ACTION SS-00 INFO LOG-00 OASY-00 ADS-00 000W ------------------11CE02 1720512 138 0 171948Z DEC 93 FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4611 INFO JCS WASHDC IMMEDIATE CIA WASHDC IMMEDIATE DEA WASHDC IMMEDIATE NSC WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE USCINCSO QUARRY HEIGHTS PM IMMEDIATE USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL IMMEDIATE DIRONDCP WASHDC IMMEDIATE DIRFBI WASHDC IMMEDIATE DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC IMMEDIATE DIRNSA FT GEORGE G MEADE MD G2 DCN LINEAR IMMEDIATE i I i S E C R E T SECTION 02 OF 02 BOGOTA 19212 SPECAT EXDIS ROUSING C PROVEN OPTION MESSAGE U Current Class SECRET Page 3 I UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No M-2008-01078 Doc No 017569148 Date 01109 2014 UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No M-2008-01078 Doc No C17569148 Date 01 09 2014 Page 4 Current Class SECRET Current Handling EXDIS Document Number 1993BOGOTA19212 Channel n a STATE FOR ARA WATSON INM GELBARD ARA AND AND DS DSS ITA DS I CT JCS FOR GENERAL SHALIKASHUILI CIA FOR DIRECTOR WOOLSEY DEA FOR GREEN NSC FOR TONY LAKE SECRET SECRET PAGE 02 BOGOTA 19212 02 OF 02 172051Z USCINCSO FOR GENERAL WORTHINGTON USSQCOM FOR GENERAL DOWNING ONDCP FOR DIRECTOR BROWN DECL OADR E O 12356 PGOV ASEC SNAR PIER CO TAGS IMPACT ON FUTURE GOMEZ PADILLA RESIGNS SUBJECT OPERATIONS AGAINST THE CALI CARTEL WOULD COMMENCE GOMEZ THEN SAID THE REAL OPERATION WAS THE SMALL 5 HE SAID HE WONDERED UNIT PARDO AND I HAD DISCUSSED WHETHER WE WANTED TO HAND OVER THIS OPERATION TO VARGAS ADDING THAT THE FUTURE OF THIS UNIT WAS HIS I REPLIED THAT WE HAD MAJOR PREOCCUPATION IN RESIGNING GOMEZ PADILLA STATED THAT SOME CONCERNS ABOUT VARGAS ALTHOUGH HE HAD NO FACTS HE HAD RESERVATIONS ABOUT VARGAS HIMSELF AND ADVISED ME TO WAIT UNTIL PARDO WAS BACK ON THE JOB TO PURSUE THIS CONCEPT ANY FURTHER i i 6 I TOLD GOMEZ WE WERE CONFIDENT VARGAS HAD HAD CONTACT WITH CALI DURING THE HUNT FOR ESCOBAR AND THAT WE HAD SPECULATED AS TO WHETHER IT WAS OPERATIONALLY THAT WAS NOT THE ORIENTED TO GAIN USEFUL INFORMATION GOMEZ SAID THAT HE THOUGHT THE CASE REPLIED GOMEZ IDEAS PARDO AND I DISCUSSED WERE PERFECT AND WITH THE SAME TYPE OF SUPPORT WHICH HAD BEEN PROVIDED TO THE WITH BLOQUE WOULD WORK WELL IN CALI DEA THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AND J BUT HE THE OPERATIONAL UNIT THE CONCEPT WAS SOUND 25X1 SECRET SECRET 02 OF 02 172051Z BOGOTA 19212 PAGE 03 SAID SECURITY WAS PARAMOUNT AND PARDO WAS THE MAN TO TALK TO HE SAID HE WAS NOT CERTAIN THAT THE PRESIDENT Current Class SECRET Page 4 UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No M-2008-01078 Doc No C17569148 Date 01109 2014 UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No M-2008-01078 Doc No 017569148 Date 01 09 2014 Page 5 Current Class SECRET Current Handling EXDIS Channel n a Document Number 1993BOGOTA19212 HAD BEEN BRIEFED BUT FELT STRONGLY THAT VARGAS WAS NOT THE MAN TO CARRY THE PLAID FORWARD HE SAID IT WOULD BE FOOLISH TO GO FORWARD-WITH THESE OPERATIONS WITHOUT POLITICAL COVER AND APPROVAL AND THAT NEEDED TO BE SINCE GAVIRIA WOULD DECIDED BETWEEN GAVIRIA AND PARDO NOT TRUST ANYONE BUT PARDO WITH SUCH A DELICATE MATTER THIS SHOULD BE PUT ON HOLD UNTIL PARDO HAD RECOVERED FROM HIS SURGERY AND HAD RETURNED TO WORK 7 COMMENT ' NF NC OC WN WE ARE STILL REELING FROM THE ONE-TWO LOSS OF PARDO AND GOMEZ PADILLA BUT PARDO WILL BE BACK WE ARE FORTUNATE THAT IT IS CHRISTMAS AND THERE WILL BE A BREAK AND THERE IS TIME TO REGROUP OUR PLAN IS VERY MUCH ALIVE AND A SMALL UNIT COMPRISED CT CELLS OF TWO n i IS THE ONLY EFFECTIYE MEANS BY WHI GOC CAN COMBAT THE CALI CARTEL TEAM ALREADY IN PLACE HERE IN BOGOTA WHICH IS ALREADY WORKING ON SUPPORTING OPERATIONS IN 25X1 CALI 8 WE SEE THE WISDOM IN GOMEZ PADILLA'S ADVICE TO WAIT A FEW WEEKS AND HAVE THUS AUTHORIZED THE MAJORITY OF THE JSOC ELEMENTS IN COUNTRY TO GO HOME OVER THE HOLIDAYS AS REQUESTED WE WILL FORWARD IN COMING DAYS A REVISED MISSION STATEMENT ALONG WITH A FLESHED OUT VERSION OF AS FOR VARGAS WE'VE LONG SUSPECTED HIM OF THE CONCEPT ALL BEING TOO CLOSE TO'CALI AND GOMEZ' FEARS ARE OURS THE MORE REASON TO PROCEED CAUTIOUSLY IN THIS MATTER SECRET SECRET PAGE 04 BUSBY BOGOTA 19212 02 OF 02 172051Z SECRET NNNN Current Class SECRET Page 5 i UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No M-2008-01078 Doc No 017569148 Date 01 0912014 - _