World

Colombian drug lord captured in Venezuela

by rahul | September 7, 2008 at 07:04 pm | 256 views | 5 comments | 22 recommendations

As Venezuela and US dispute over the merits of their anti drug policies, another Colombian trafficker -Marcos José Orozco Wilches- is captured in oppositon governed Zulia state. Few days ago, Venezuelan central authorities also captured a Colombian politician -Álvaro Araujo Noguera- in Zulia state; Senator Araujo Noguera has been accused of paramilitary activities in his country. It is a normal practice to have drug and paramilitaries activities go along in Colombia.

2008-09-08 03:25:02 - CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - A suspected Colombian drug lord wanted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has been captured in western Venezuela, the country's state news service reported Sunday. Marcos Jose Orozco Wilches was detained Saturday in Zulia state, near Venezuela's border with neighboring Colombia, according to the Bolivarian News Agency. Cooperation between Interpol and Venezuela's National Anti-Drug Agency, coupled with intelligence gathered by Venezuelan security forces, reportedly led to the arrest. Drug agency director Nestor Reverol did not immediately return calls seeking to confirm the report. Orozco Wilches, who was taken to the capital of Caracas for questioning, is the second major Colombian drug suspect arrested in Venezuela this year. Hermagoras Gonzalez Polanco _ one of the U.S. government's most-wanted drug trafficking suspects _ was captured in Zulia in March. U.S. officials have accused President Hugo Chavez's government of lax anti-drug efforts that let more Colombian cocaine be smuggled through Venezuela to the U.S. and Europe.
Chavez accuses Washington of unfairly labeling his country a drug haven for political reasons.