News
 Home
Page
Costa
Rica
Latin
America
Sections
Special
Reports
Travel/Tourism
Real
Estate
Business
Health
The
Internet
Letters
Opinion
Columnists
Leisure
EroTica
Entertainment
The
Take!
Learn
Spanish
Photos
Editorial
Letters
Opinion
Columnists
Public
Forum
Who We Are
About
Us
Contact Us
Advertise
with us
Subscribe
to our
Newsletter
Links
Page
|
 |
LATIN AMERICA
- Friday
25
February 2005
<
Back
Send this Page To a Friend |
Colombia seizes eight planes
from drug-related airways
The
Colombian government on Thursday
seized eight planes and other
assets from the Intercontinental
de Aviacion, whose principal
shareholders are related to
drug-trafficking activities.
Colonel Oscar Naranjo of the
Judicial and Investigative
Police Direction said that most
of the confiscated properties
belong to shareholder Gabriel
Puerta.
Puerta was arrested in Colombia
on Oct. 7, 2004, and the US
government, which accused him of
importing, owning and
distributing cocaine, is seeking
to extradite him.
Naranjo said that 10 prosecutors
and 150 police agents took part
in the confiscation activities.
Naranjo said that the assets
totaled 98 million US dollars.
Another principal shareholder of
the company is a lawyer known by
the alias El Doctor, considered
as the second leader in the
Norte del Valle cartel, headed
by Diego Montoya, alias Don
Diego.
On Oct. 15, 2004, the
Intercontinental de Aviacion was
listed by the US State
Department as a drug-trafficker.
According to the US Treasury
Department, the airways is
"small, regional and involved in
drug-trafficking and money
laundering for the Norte del
Valle cartel" since the late
1980s.
Venezuela's Congress approves
arms procurement plan
Venezuela's Congress has
approved a 5.7-million-US dollar
arms procurement plan, the El
Universal daily said Thursday.
Congress decided Wednesday to
use the money to buy 90 mm
Cockerill guns, said the paper.
Salomon Centeno, vice president
of Congress' finance commission,
refused to elaborate, saying it
will be appropriate for Defense
Minister Jorge Garcia to explain
the reason for the purchase.
|
|
Uruguay, Cuba to resume
diplomatic ties
Cuba and Uruguay will resume
diplomatic relations after
the swearing-in ceremony of
Uruguay's President-elect
Tabare Vazquez, the radio El
Espectador reported
Thursday.
Cuban leader Fidel Castro
will arrive in Uruguay early
next Tuesday to attend the
ceremony set for Wednesday
evening. He is expected to
deliver a speech during the
event.
Uruguay broke off diplomatic
relations with Cuba in 2002
after Castro described
Uruguayan President Jorge
Batlle as a "Juda" after
Uruguay sponsored a United
Nations resolution on Cuba's
human rights record.
|
|
|
|
|
