Venezuela arrests top Colombian drug lord (Wanted by the F.B.I.)

[Judi Lynn]

Sunday, February 12, 2006. 6:02pm (AEDT)
Venezuela arrests top Colombian drug lord
Venezuelan police this week arrested Colombian-born Carlos Alonso Ojeda, high up on wanted lists in Colombia and the United States as one of Latin America's biggest drug lords, the Venezuelan government said.

Ojeda, sought by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and Drug Enforcement Administration, was arrested on Thursday in a commercial district in the east of Caracas, the interior and justice ministry said in a statement.

It said there were seven international arrest warrants issued for Ojeda, who is suspected of coordinating much of the drugs trafficking that goes through Venezuela.
(snip/...)

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200602/s1567993.htm



(photo from El Universal, Venezuela)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Venezuela seizes drug lord
Sunday 12 February 2006, 10:14 Makka Time, 7:14 GMT
The drugs trade poses a serious threat to Latin America
A drug lord on the wanted lists in Colombia and the United States has been arrested by Venezuelan police.

Carlos Ojeda, sought by the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration in the US, was arrested on Thursday by agents from the CICPC anti-drugs squad in a commercial district in the east of Caracas, the Venezuelan interior and justice ministry said.

There were seven international arrest warrants issued for Ojeda, nicknamed "the Engineer" and suspected of co-ordinating much of the drug trafficking through Venezuela.

Venezuelan authorities are studying extradition requests for him, the ministry said.

Transit

Venezuela is a conduit for cocaine as it travels from neighbouring Colombia through the Caribbean to Europe and the United States. Traffickers use speedboats to ship drugs from its eastern coastline to boats or nearby islands.

Venezuela and US officials recently began working on a new co-operation deal to catch traffickers after Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan president, severed ties with the DEA last year after accusing its agents of spying on his government.
(snip/...)

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/35DB9A3C-21F8-4DED-8293-65BDCE4E1084.htm

[Selatius]

1. I bet Chavez couldn't be bought off by large sums of drug money

Only a corporatist would accept that kind of cash, and I bet many of those were in previous governments in Caracas. Of course, greed is their game, but Chavez, at least as far as I know, doesn't play that game.

[Trillo]

2. You know, he's got a point

severed ties with the DEA last year after accusing its agents of spying on his government.

I think our AG just admitted that our government has been domestically spying, as well. :tinfoilhat: I've often wondered how much of illegal drug profits end up as off-the-books operations funding?

Guess Chavez 'might' be hurting off-the-books operations profits.

[Monkie]

3. leaked DOJ memo regarding DEA drug dealing and DOJ coverup

http://www.narconews.com/Issue40/article1543.html

Leaked Memo: Corrupt DEA Agents in Colombia Help Narcos and Paramilitaries
Internal Justice Dept. Document Alleges Drug Trafficking Links, Money Laundering and Conspiracy to Murder

By Bill Conroy
Special to The Narco News Bulletin

January 9, 2006

the memo:

http://www.narconews.com/docs/ThomasKentMemo.pdf

related stories:

http://narcosphere.narconews.com/story/2006/1/13/124530/189

DEA Responds to Narco News Story, Says It Will Investigate Agents in Colombia
By Dan Feder,
Posted on Fri Jan 13th, 2006 at 12:45:30 PM EST
The DEA is already feeling the heat from Bill Conroy’s explosive report published in Narco News this week. Conroy received a leaked internal memo written by attorney Thomas M. Kent, an attorney with the U.S. Justice Department. The memo accused Drug Enforcement Administration agents working in Colombia of massive corruption, of cooperating with drug traffickers, of murdering informants, and of helping that country’s dreaded rightwing paramilitaries to launder drug money.

Now, just four days later, the DEA is responding to questions from journalists with the following emailed statement, promising a full investigation into these “extremely serious” allegations

http://narcosphere.narconews.com/story/2006/1/17/1180/13661

Sources offer new tip in Bogotá DEA corruption case
By Bill Conroy,
Posted on Tue Jan 17th, 2006 at 01:18:00 AM EST
A memo drafted by Department of Justice attorney Thomas M. Kent alleging major corruption in the Bogotá, Colombia, office of the Drug Enforcement Administration has caused a bit of a stir in the mainstream media over the past few days.

The internal Justice Department document, drafted in December 2004, alleges that DEA agents in Bogotá are on the payroll of narco-traffickers, engaged in money laundering for right-wing paramilitary groups in Colombia and also conspired to murder informants. The document also alleges that two government watchdog agencies — the Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General and DEA’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) — whitewashed an internal investigation into the corruption charges.

http://narcosphere.narconews.com/story/2006/1/17/23510/5081

Doubt cast on AP story's claim of “No Wrongdoing” in DEA corruption scandal
By Bill Conroy,
Posted on Tue Jan 17th, 2006 at 11:05:10 PM EST
The Associated Press followed Narco News’ recent exclusive report of alleged corruption in the Bogotá, Colombia, office of the Drug Enforcement Administration with an article headlined: “Probe of DEA Agents Finds No Wrongdoing.”

this is how the MSM reported the news..

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1505007

Probe of DEA Agents Finds No Wrongdoing

U.S. Official Says Probe Into DEA Involvement in Colombian Drug Trade Showed No Wrongdoing

By JOSHUA GOODMAN

BOGOTA, Colombia Jan 13, 2006 (AP)— A Justice Department official said Friday an investigation into allegations made by one of its attorneys of drug trafficking by U.S. drug agents in Colombia uncovered no wrongdoing.

The investigation came after a memo, written in December 2004 by Thomas Kent, then a lawyer involved in handling narcotics wiretaps for the Justice Department, alleged that internal probes into the misconduct were cut short.

The memo was made public Monday, when the Narco News Bulletin posted a copy on its Web site. Garrison Courtney, a spokesman for the DEA, on Friday confirmed to The Associated Press that the memo was authentic.

[DoYouEverWonder]

4. One more reason why Bush hates Chavez

Chavez doesn't play the game and can't be bought. Doesn't he know you're not suppose to ever catch the bad guys?

[Rose Siding]

5. Thank you for posting those

That's incredible.

[MrPrax]

9. Thx...

When I read the initial story, I was thinking just that--Chevaz might very well not bother with the DEA's war on drug because it's ineffective and corrupt.

Maybe the drug lord has some information that could be of value to Venezuela--or maybe Chevaz might be willing to trade this chump for the Cubans?

Now wouldn't that be interesting...

[Judi Lynn]

11. It's doubtful we would have ever had a glimpse of this info. if you hadn't

posted it here. There are stories which surface occassionally with Americans getting caught in Colombia trafficking in drugs, and then we never hear another word on it.

Sounds like some folks in the region are starting to get the picture.

Thanks for these exceptional links.

[ronnie624]

16. These will make interesting reading.

Is it possible that the DEA is really an arm of the multi-tentacular
system for "intelligence" and covert operations which includes profiting from drug trafficking and terrorism?

Naa. That's just conspiracy theory. ( Just in case.):sarcasm:

[Judi Lynn]

18. Oh, of course not. Not possible in any way. (Huff!)

[phusion]

19. Those kind of links have been posted over at PI too

but the mods here at DU have banned any mention of PI, so it's not likely that many people know about the site.

[Judi Lynn]

21. You're right. It's not well known, for some reason.

Could you leave a hint of what those initials mean? It's not the two-Middle East-countries section at D.U., is it?

P.M. the answer if you think it's called for. Thank you.

[goforit]

14. I'm afraid this might be the achilles heel of the Bush Junta.

I commend Chavez for the arrest but I see Poppy
livid at the inconvenience of the dent in his own personal
treasury.

Here comes the vengence.
Get your cameras out and take lots of pictures folks. More crimes are
a'coming from the Bush Junta!!!

[lovuian]

17. Chavez is telling the Bushes that he's got their number

and they using American government military and assets to enhance their drug cartel!!!

Destruction of FBI and CIA is the best way of hiding their secret mafia...

[ret5hd]

10. no need for a tinfoil hat...

remember ollie north? it's been going on for at least that long.

really much much longer. do some googling on the golden triangle in burma.

[mdelaguna2000]

6. That rocks. Hugo Chavez: Might for Right n/t.

[0007]

7. Very interesting! Perhaps the U.S. will give up Orlando Bosch's

buddy in exchange, eh? What was his name again?

[Judi Lynn]

13. Oh, you mean that mass murderer/airliner bomber/CIA employee?

[0007]

22. Ya think maybe?

[happydreams]

23. Bosch? Carl Bosch was an IG Farben exec. Wonder

if there is any connection?

Seems odd that a German name like Bosch ends up in South America. Was his old man or relatives beneficiaries of the ratline?

[bemildred]

8. A beneficial side-effect of kicking the DEA out, I suppose.

Mr. Ojeda probably did not get the usual warning.

[High Plains]

20. The DEA is back in now.

The Venezuelan and US governments reached an agreement on that a couple of weeks ago. Tighter Venezuelan control over the foreign agents...

[happydreams]

24. Oh the irony. Let's see if Hugo can crimp the international drug trade

while he fights off the CIA. :bounce:

[TankLV]

12. Opps - that will put a chink in the repuke's "drug war" now.

Can't actually GET the criminals we SAY we want to get - there would be no US-sponsored boogymen left to terrorize US Citizens with.

Chavez crossed the line BIGTIME this time!

[goforit]

15. I wonder if Sybill Edmonds knows about these contacts.

[Tight_rope]

25. Looks like Chavez is winning the war on drugs.