VZCZCXYZ0003
RR RUEHWEB
DE RUEHBO #0093/01 0271809
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
R 271809Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2273
INFO RHMFISS/FBI WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/HQ BICE INTEL WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 0001
RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA
RUEHZP/AMEMBASSY PANAMA
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
S E C R E T BOGOTA 000093
NOFORN
SIPDIS
PM/DTCC - BLUE LANTERN COORDINATOR
E.O. 12958: DECL: 25X1- HUMAN
TAGS: ETTC KOMC SNAR CO TH PM
SUBJECT: BLUE LANTERN RESPONSE: TAA 0361-04F AND TAA 4140-08D
REF: STATE 369; BOGOTA 3361
CLASSIFIED BY: Timothy Stater, Economic Counselor, DoS, Econ; REASON:
1.4C
1. (S//NF) Summary. Blue Lantern Officer consulted
with the Defense Attache Office, US MilitaryGroup (MILGROUP), FBI
and DEA regarding the accuracy of intelligence reports listed in
ref A. DEA confirmed the derogatory information in ref A, linking
Vertical de Aviacion to Helitaxi, Helicol and Byron Lopez Salazar
-- a known money-launderer. In light of this information, Post
does not recommend issuance of a license to Vertical de Aviacion to
import goods on the U.S. Munitions List.
2. (U) Other information requested in ref A is
provided below. End Summary.
3. (S//NF) At the time of the initial Blue Lantern
pre-licensing verification request for Vertical de Aviacion, no
derogatory information was found on the company or its owner and
CEO, as listed on the business registration provided to Post by the
company (ref B). The Department subsequently provided derogatory
information about Helitaxi, the previous name of Vertical de
Aviacion, and its owner Byron Lopez Salazar, and requested another
review.
4. (S//NF) Per ref A, BlueLanternOff verified that DEA
has derogatory information on Helitaxi, the previous name of
Vertical de Aviacion. DEA confirms that the owner of Helitaxi,
Byron Lopez Salazar, is a known money-launderer. His name is
indexed in 20 DEA case files. However, the Colombian business
registration of Vertical de Aviacion does not list Byron Lopez
Salazar as an owner, although a Dunn & Bradstreet check does.
According to officials at Vertical de Aviacion, the current owner
is Mauricio Lopez Espinosa, son of Byron Lopez, and the CEO is
another son, Fernando Lopez Espinosa. DEA has no derogatory
information on either son. Fernando Lopez is a dual U.S. and
Colombian citizen.
5. (SBU) The parent company of Vertical de Aviacion is
Icaro International Services, which owns 80% of the company. Angie
Garcia (tel: 202-246-6814), the Executive Assistant at Vertical de
Aviacion's offices in Washington, D.C., reported the following
information requested, per ref A, for Icaro International Services:
President: Julio Cesar Morales Vega
Treasurer: Myriam Vega de Morales
Secretary: Carlos Neira
Address: Calle 64 Casa No. 21 Corregimiento San Francisco
Ciudad de Panama, Republica de
Panama
Phone: (570) 226 3780
Fax: (570) 226 9296
Mobile: (570) 649 10464
Email: jcmorales@cableonda.net
Panamanian ID and registration number:
Ficha: 235862
Rollo: 30053
Imagen: 53
Panamanian Agency/Office that maintains Icaro International
Services' registration records:
Registro Publio de Panama
Phone: 501-6000
Address: ViaEspana, Calle 67A, Frente a la Clinica San Fernando
Web address: https://www.registro-publico.gob.pa/
Date of Registration of Icaro International Services: July 26,
1990
According to Fernando Lopez, Icaro International Services does not
own any other companies.
6. (SBU) Vertical de Aviacion reports the following
Russian national employees:
Name (Last, First)
Colombian ID Passport
a. BABKINE VALERI 260582 50
No.0313217
b. BOLCHOUKHINE NIKOLAI 271024 51
No.0396498
c. BOTALOV ALEXANDER 300164 60
No.5871640
d. CHEVKOUNOV MIKHAIL 312838 51
No.1482814
e. DEMIANENKO SERGUEI 310530 51
No.1482774
f. DOUBENTCHOUK VASSILI 266722 60
No.5510346
g. DOUCHKOV VALERI 271023 51
No.0396392
h. ELISEEV ANDREY 363054 63
No.5057723
i. IANOVCHKEVICH VITALI 286467 51
No.0396319
j. LEONTIEV ALEXANDRE 270998 50
No.0313180
k. LUKASHEVICH ALEXANDER 286466 60 No.5582896
l. MALIOUTINE ANATOLI 266942 51
No.0396485
m. ORLOV ALEXEY 376090 70
No.3376251
n. PALIANOV ANDREI 273305 51
No.0396456
o. RADYGINE SERGUEI 273203 51
No.0396457
p. SALMINE ALEXANDER 311150 51
No.1483684
q. SAZONOV GRIGORI 320285 51
No.0614006
r. SHUSPANOV SERGEY 350692 63
No.1219216
s. UMYCHEV VICTOR 312392 51
No.1482751
7. (S//NF) A background check on the name Icaro
International Services in DEA databases shows that the company was
flagged for suspicious banking activity in 1997.
8. (S//NF) BlueLanternOff consulted with MILGROUP, who
confirmed that they have a current air transport agreement with
Vertical de Aviacion. This contract is now under review by its
contracting officer as a result of this Blue Lantern investigation.
9. (SBU) In light of this information, Post does not
recommend issuance of a license to Vertical de Aviacion to import
goods on the U.S. Munitions List.
BROWNFIELD