Venezuela deports suspected drug trafficker

Venezuela deported a suspected drug trafficker on Tuesday, saying he
was a former police officer involved in spiriting cocaine through the
South American country.

The suspect, Wilmer Ignacio Guerrero Ibanez, boarded a military
plane amid heavily armed guards en route to Colombia. Two other
Colombians also were deported.

Justice Minister Tareck El Aissami
said Guerrero is suspected of smuggling drugs through four states in
central-western Venezuela. He said he was a former officer in
Colombia’s national police force.

Guerrero is one of the “20
most-wanted gangsters in Colombia,” El Aissami said. He was detained
last week in the western coastal town of Tucacas.

U.S. officials
in recent years have accused President Hugo Chavez’s government of
failing to fight drug trafficking effectively. Venezuela denies the
charges.

Chavez suspended cooperation with the U.S. Drug
Enforcement Administration in 2005, accusing its agents of espionage —
accusations U.S. officials denied.

Both governments have recently expressed willingness to cooperate in counter-drug efforts. (AP)

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