"Venezuela Captures Top Colombian Drug Trafficker
May 22nd 2009, by Tamara Pearson – Venezuelanalysis.com
Justice Minister El Aissami speaking about the capture on national television (VTV)
Justice Minister El Aissami speaking about the capture on national television (VTV)
Mérida, May 22nd 2009 (Venezuelanalysis.com) -- The Bolivarian National Guard of Venezuela has captured Wilmer Guerrero, one of the 20 Colombian drug cartel bosses most sought after by Colombian police. It has also closed down six drug laboratories.
The National Guard caught Guerrero in Tucacas, Falcon state, Tarek El Aissami, the minister for justice and internal affairs, announced in a press conference on Thursday. The government will deport Guerrero to Colombia to be tried there.
This capture brings the total number of drug trafficking leaders captured this year to six, said El Aissami. The Venezuelan daily newspaper El Universal reported that these include Felix Cantillo, a Colombian who was deported back to Colombia last month; Ismael Lameda, a Venezuelan captured in March, and Mohsen Mahmoud, a Lebanese man who was wanted by police in Puerto Rico and Spain.
"Yet again we have shown with deeds the operative level and effectiveness of our Bolivarian National Armed Forces... and of our investigative bodies and intelligence organisations such as the National Anti-Drugs Office (ONA).
Venezuela stopped collaborating with the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) in 2005, on allegations that it was spying. At the end of last year a DEA functionary wanted to meet with the Venezuelan Foreign Relations Ministry but the ministry responded that the DEA would be better off using its time fighting drug trafficking and consumption in its own country.
Also, the U.S. accuses Venezuela of not cooperating with its "War on Drugs", and has placed Venezuela on its list of countries through which illegal drugs are transported.
El Aissami also informed the press that the Direction of Intelligence and Prevention Services (DISIP) had confiscated 130 kilograms of heroine in Nueva Esparta state and arrested one citizen. The Scientific and Crime Investigations Body (CICPC) also confiscated 550 kilograms of marihuana in Carabobo state, he said.
On Friday, the Bolivarian News Agency (ABN) reported that the National Guard and ONA found six cocaine processing laboratories on the Colombian-Venezuelan border, Zulia state, along with 2.8 tons of cocaine paste and 100 kilograms of high grade cocaine. Three people without documents were detained.
The ONA reports that since the start of this year it has confiscated 18.5 tonnes of various drugs and 2,330 Venezuelans and 123 foreigners have been arrested for drug trafficking.
Venezuela is used as a drug transporting country for drugs produced in Colombia, with which it shares a land border of 2,219 kilometres. "
http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news/4463