The seizure of cocaine by the DEA was conducted at about 180 miles of Costa Rica's Limon Port, where the traffickers were chased and trying to throw the drugs into the sea.

The Naval Force said that in the past 6 months, a total of 9 fast motorboats used by the drug-traffickers were seized.
 

Brazil asks for measures to protect nuclear industrial secrets
The Brazilian government said Tuesday that it is "normal" for the United Nations to inspect its nuclear installations, but made it clear that the procedure has to be negotiated to protect the industrial secrets.

Brazilian Defense Minister Jose Viegas told the press that these types of inspections are envisaged in accords signed between Brazil and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

"It is necessary, however, to negotiate with the international agency the specific characteristics of future protection accords that will rule the inspections at the Resende's production units, "the minister was quoted as saying.

Viegas made the remarks during a meeting in Brasilia to discuss an infrastructure and defense plan in an area bordering Colombia in Amazonas state.

Resende, located in the state of Rio de Janeiro, hosts a crude uranium enriching plant used to generate electricity in Brazil.

IAEA Director-General Mohamed El Baradei had warned in an interview with Brazilian daily O Globo in Moscow that this country had to allow the inspection of its facilities at Resende.

"We have inspected uranium enriching centers in many countries without revealing any industrial secret. Brazil will not be the exception," El Baradei said in the interview.

Since last year, Brazil has been negotiating an accord with the IAEA to allow inspections at Resende.

The Brazilian government stressed that the country's constitution bans the development of nuclear weapons and the country has proved many times that its nuclear project has peaceful goals.

ElBaradei said the IAEA is not concerned about the purpose of the Brazilian nuclear project, but only wishes to do its job.
 

Ten people missing in river overflow in Colombia
Ten people were missing after the Banadia River, in Colombia's eastern department of Arauca, overflowed and destroyed a bridge.

The overflow led to the fall of the bridge when an unidentified number of people were crossing it despite the warning to avoid the bridge in strong rainstorms, Jose Ricardo Villadiego, emergency director of the National Road Institute, said Tuesday.

Traffic in the road which joins Colombia's capital Bogota with the region of the Eastern Plains was closed on June 13 because of a mudslide caused by strong rains, according to the official. The mudslide affected food transporters, who were stuck in the road with large loads of food that were already decomposing, and led to a lack of food supplies for local residents, he said.
 

Paraguay's coup plotter jailed after returning from exile
Former Paraguayan army chief Lino Oviedo was arrested Tuesday at Paraguay's capital airport on charges of plotting a coup and murder after five years in exile.

Gen. Oviedo, 61, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for a failed coup in 1996, was ferried away by helicopter to a military jail upon his arrival at Asuncion airport, reports reaching here from the Paraguayan capital said.

"I return to my homeland to prove my innocence," said the former strongman, who fled to Brazil in 1999 and had since lived there.

Hundreds of Oviedo supporters were kept two km away from the airport, which was surrounded by police and security forces.

The former army chief was accused of plotting a coup attempt against the then President Juan Carlos Wasmosy in 1996. He also faced charges of masterminding the 1999 assassination of Vice President Luis Argana, a crime that triggered mass demonstrations and bloodshed in the country of 5.6 million people.

Oviedo has said he wanted to clear his name to stand in the 2008 presidential election and he would use a Brazilian Supreme Court's ruling to defend himself. The court refused an extradition request by the Paraguayan government in 2001, saying there was insufficient evidence.

Paraguay, a poor South American country, suffered several political crises after a civilian regime was restored in 1989.
 

Fitch Ratings Affirms Banco Cuscatlan's Ratings
Fitch Ratings affirmed Banco Cuscatlan de El Salvador, S.A.'s (BC) long-term foreign currency at 'BB (Negative Outlook)', short-term foreign currency at 'B', individual at 'D', and support at '5'.

The ratings reflect the bank's well established domestic and regional franchise, as well as a stable retail deposit base, but also moderate profitability and asset quality concerns, given BC's relatively high levels of nonperforming, restructured, and foreclosed assets. The bank's management states that the asset quality issues are currently being addressed.

BC is El Salvador's second largest bank, with an asset and deposit market share of 24.1% and 22.6%, respectively, at year-end 2003. Locally, BC is held by Inversiones Financieras Cuscatlan (96%), which, in turn, is controlled by Corporacion UBCI (100%, (UBCI)), itself predominantly owned by Central American investors. In addition, the IFC held a 2% stake in the regional holding company at year-end 2003.

Corporacion UBCI, which was registered in Panama in 2001, also holds the shares of other financial groups in Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Panama that operate under the same name but do not consolidate the results into BC. BC is the largest of the regional group companies, with 68% of Corporacion UBCI's consolidated assets, 58% of its equity, and 73% of its net income at year-end 2003.