Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume E–10, Documents on American Republics, 1969–1972

574. Memorandum From Secretary of State Rogers to President Nixon¹ ²

Washington, July 28, 1972

Subject:

• Narcotics Cooperation in Paraguay

The Paraguayan Government has not acceded increasing pressures by the United States to deny permanently the use of its territory as a transshipment point for narcotics, chiefly heroin, destined for the United States. I believe the next logical step is a personal appeal from you to President Alfredo Stroessner. At best, your appeal will forcefully drive home to him that his coveted relationship with the United States is now in danger, thus prompting him, the country’s undisputed arbiter, to be more cooperative. At worst, he will ignore your appeal so that we may have to apply more pressure on Paraguay.

In addition to our cancellation of certain kinds of military shipments and the suspension of current AID loan negotiations, we have told the Government that Paraguay is now in the “gray zone” on narcotics control and unless corrective action is taken, further actions by us are inevitable.

Our concern has focused on the sixteen-month delay on our request for the extradition of Auguste Ricord, a notorious international drug trafficker. Although we believe that our extradition request, and Ricord’s subsequent incarceration, may have contributed to an absence of reported drug movements through Paraguay over the past nine months, we are concerned over Paraguayan procrastination in taking legal and enforcement steps to reduce the nation’s attractiveness to drug traffickers.

We have been informally advised by the Paraguayan Foreign Minister that Ricord will be extradited in late July. However, a spokesman for the appeals court is quoted in the Paraguayan press of July 21 as saying that the decision on Ricord’s extradition may not be handed down until late August. Furthermore, previous Paraguayan assurances on this matter have proven valueless.

Therefore, unless Ricord is extradited in the meantime, I propose that Mr. Nelson Gross, my Senior Advisor on International Narcotics Matters, travel to meet with Stroessner in Asuncion August 8. A draft letter of introduction to President Stroessner is attached. We plan no publicity for this demarche.

William P. Rogers

1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, Office of East Coast Affairs, Lot 78 D 26, Narcotics–A, Paraguay, August 1972. Secret. Drafted on July 17 by Friedman, Stedman, and Skol; it was concurred in draft by Pfund and Lister; and concurred in by Hurwitch and Stedman. Attached but not published is Nixon’s August 2 letter to Stroessner.
2. Rogers suggested sending Nelson Gross, the Department of State’s Coordinator for International Narcotics Matters, to prompt the extradition of Auguste Ricord, an alleged international drug trafficker, to the United States.