Venezuelans Seize 2 Tons of Drugs on Colombian Border

[Judi Lynn]

Sunday 19 September 2010
Venezuelans Seize 2 Tons of Drugs on Colombian Border

CARACAS - The Venezuelan National Guard detained a truck from Colombia carrying 2,700 kilograms of marijuana in the border state of Táchira, military commander Franklin Márquez announced on Saturday.

In a telephone interview with the Venezolana de Televisión television network, Márquez stressed that the vehicle was using the transportation of bricks as a facade, but its real aim was a load of 2,659 bundles of drugs.

Márquez, chief of the Border Commando No. 1, said his men were fighting both drug trafficking and drug dealing in towns near the border. He also referred to the results of the strengthening of checkpoints on the border with Colombia. This year, more than 13 tons of drugs have been seized by Border Commando No.1 of the National Guard, Marquez stated.

Venezuela has confiscated almost 50 tons of narcotics from Colombia to date this year, mainly marijuana and cocaine, since this country has been free of illegal crop-growing since 2008.

http://www.insidecostarica.com/dailynews/2010/september/19/latinamerica10091902.htm