WIRETAP SUSPECT HAD CONTACTS WITH 'ANDROMEDA PROGRAM' AND MILITARY INTELLIGENCE: NEWSPAPER

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06587084
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2022
• Document Release Date: February 23, 2017
• Case Number: F-2016-02088
• Publication Date: May 16, 2014

Approved for Release: 2017/02/16 C06587084
Page 1 of 6
UNCLASSIFIED//
ENVELOPE
ZNR UUUUU
HEADER
RAAUZYUW RUEIFBS8283 1361535-UM�RUZDZSE.
161535Z MAY 14
FM OSC RESTON VA
TO RUZFNEL/547IS NELLIS AFB NV
RUZDADA/AFIAA AMHS BOLLING AFB DC
RHMCSII/ATTORNEY GENERAL D BRANCH
RHMCSII/BICE FIU SE MIAMI FL
RHMCSII/BICE FIU WEST LONG BEACH CA
RUEPPOG/CDR PSYOPGP FT BRAGG NC//ASOF-POG-SB//
RHMCSII/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUZFMXI/CDR USTRANSCOM INTEL CELL SCOTT AFB IL
RUEPNGA/CDRNGIC CHARLOTTESVILLE VA
RHMCSII/CDRUSASOIC WASHINGTON DC
RHMCSII/COGARD IDB WASHINGTON DC
RHMCSII/COMUSNAVCENT//N2//
immcsii/comusNAvso//N2//
RUEPWDC/DA AMHS WASHINGTON DC
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON Dc//IN-1//
RUEPTRX/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
A
RHMCSII/DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMIN HQ WASHINGTON DC//NARci/
RHmcSII/GisA FT BRAGG NC
RumIAAA/H4 USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL
RUZDJWC/JWAC DAHLGREN VA
RUZDQAN/MARCORINTACT QUANTICO VA
RUZDNAI/NASIC WRIGHT PATTERSON AFB OH
ZEN/NGA WASHINGTON DC
RUETIAA/NSACSS FT GEORGE G MEADE MD
RUCXONI/ONI WASHINGTON DC//2140//
RHHJJPI/PACOM IDHS HONOLULU HI
RHMCSII/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RINCSII/uS CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION WASHINGTON DC
RHMCSII/US INTERDICTION COORD WASHINGTON DC
RUCQSAB/USSOCOM INTEL MACDILL AFB FL
ZEN/CIA WASHINGTON DC
ZEN/SECSTATE WASHINGTON DCHINR//
BT
UNCLASSIFIED//
(b)(3)
3/15/2016
Approved for Release: 2017/02/16 C06587084
Approved for Release: 2017/02/16 C06587084
Page 2 of 6
UNCLASSIFIED//
CONTROLS
UNCLAS
4121Q4
CITE OSC RESTON VA 733851
WARNING: TOPIC: MILITARY, DOMESTIC POLITICAL, CRIME, NARCOTICS,
INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL
SERIAL: LAR2014051655698784
BODY
COUNTRY: COLOMBIA
SUBJ: (U) WIRETAP SUSPECT HAD CONTACTS WITH 'ANDROMEDA PROGRAM'
AND
military intelligence: newspaper
SOURCE: Medellin Colombia Reports in English 16 May 14
(U)
TEXT:
[INTERNET]
[OSC Transcribed Text]
(U) This product may contain copyrighted material; authorized use
is
for national security purposes of the United States Government
only
Any reproduction, dissemination, or use is subject to the OSC usage
policy and the original copyright.
[Computer selected and disseminated without OSC editorial
intervention]
A hacker arrested in Colombia's latest wiretapping scandal has
reportedly admitted to purchasing intelligence from an illegal
wiretapping operation that was run by the Colombian military, the
Colombian newspaper El Tiempo reported.
Andres Sepulveda, the hacker arrested in last week's wiretapping
scandal, has admitted to purchasing information from the Andromeda
program, a top-secret intelligence gathering operation that was run
by the Colombian military, according to documents obtained by El
UNCLASSIFIED//
3/15/2016
Approved for Release: 2017/02/16 C06587084
Approved for Release: 2017/02/16 C06587084
Page 3 of 6
UNCLASSIFIED//
Tiempo.
The same documents reveal that in the hours after his arrest,
Sepulveda told prosecutors that he had trafficked illegally
obtained
information and acquired confidential data from contacts within the
Andromeda program.
According to El Tiempo, Sepulveda told prosecutors "A friend, who
is
an analyst for the Air Force intelligence service and an expert in
information security, told us that he knew people in Andromeda."
Raid only the tip of the iceberg
Sepulveda was arrested last Tuesday after agents from the
Prosecutor
General's technical investigation team (CTI) raided an apartment in
northern Bogota, where they discovered surveillance equipment used
to
intercept electronic communications.
The suspect was allegedly in possession of classified military
intelligence including information about the government's ongoing
peace negotiations in Havana, and lists of demobilized guerrilla
combatants.
MORE: Another clandestine wiretapping operation discovered in
Bogota
The documents obtained by El Tiempo reveal that shortly after the
discovery of the Andromeda program, Sepulveda met with a contact
named, "Bender," who offered him information about the rebel group
FARC and its ongoing peace negotiations with the Colombian
government.
According to Sepulveda, Bender also offered him, "a tool to monitor
Blackberry devices, which was capable of listening to calls, taking
videos and photos, copying messages, and using geolocation
tracking."
Alleged offer of intelligence on the FARC
Sepulveda has also admitted, according to the newspaper, that the
individuals involved in the Andromeda program offered him a packet
of
information, which included chat logs and entails of discussions
UNCLASSIFIED//
3/15/2016
Approved for Release: 2017/02/16 C06587084
Approved for Release: 2017/02/16 C06587084
Page 4 of 6
UNCLASSIREDW
between top level FARC officials, for $15,000.
Sepulveda's original plan was to resell that information to the
National Intelligence Directorate, but that fell through when his
contacts in the Andromeda program came up short on their offer.
Instead of the 100 email accounts promised, his contacts only
delivered 20, which he purchased in exchange for a laptop and
$4,000
in cash.
The suspect alleges that it was through this transaction that the
received a list of demobilized guerrilla combatants that was found
in
his possession.
The Andromeda program was discovered in February, after a 15-month
investigation by the magazine Semana concluded that a secret
Colombian military intelligence unit used advanced online
technology
and hacking techniques to monitor the text messages and emails of
opposition politicians and representatives of both the government
and
the FARC involved in the Havana peace negotiations.
Connection with presidential candidate
Soon after Sepulveda's arrest, it was discovered that he had
recently
been employed by the campaign of presidential candidate, Oscar Ivan
Zuluaga, to assist with "information security."
MORE: Zuluaga admits to having met Colombia peace talks hacker,
denies involvement in wiretapping
Zuluaga had previously denied having contact with Andres Sepulveda
but changed his story this past weekend, apparently following a
consultation with his staff.
"On one occasion, at the beginning of my campaign, I visited the
office of whom today is accused of acting illegally. I went to
greet
the people who were doing social support work," Zuluaga confirmed,
adding, "I want to speak frankly, with all truth while always
acting
in good faith."
Despite fears that such outside interference would destabilize the
UNCLASSIFIED//
3/15/2016
Approved for Release: 2017/02/16 C06587084
Approved for Release: 2017/02/16 C06587084
Page 5 of 6
UNCLASSIFIED//
ongoing talks, which recently entered their 25th round, chief
government negotiator Huberto de la Calle has said that illicit
surveillance has not had any crucial impact on the tone of
negotiations or the resolve of the parties to forge a lasting
peace.
More: Wiretap scandal has not threatened govt. peace talks with
FARC:
Negotiator
So far, only Sepulveda has been arrested in relation to the most
recent incident, though experts are combing through computers
seized
as part of the investigation and have not ruled out further
arrests.
Sources
'Hacker del proceso de paz dice que compro datos de Andromeda (El
Tiempo)
Andres Sepulveda si tuvo contact� con sala 'Andromeda' y con
inteligencia militar (Pulzo)
(Description of Source: Medellin Colombia Reports in English --
Independent English-language website reporting on Colombian general
news. URL: http://colombiareports.com)
(U) This product may contain copyrighted material; authorized use
is
for national security purposes of the United States Government
only
Any reproduction, dissemination, or use is subject to the OSC usage
policy and the original copyright.
CABLETYPE: FBISEMS ACP 1.0
ADMIN
BT
#8283
UNCLASSIFIED11
3/15/2016
Approved for Release: 2017/02/16 C06587084
Approved for Release: 2017/02/16 C06587084
UNCLASSIFIEM
UNCLASSIFIEW
Page 6 of 6
Approved for Release: 2017/02/16 C06587084
3/15/2016