Venezuela arrests drug lord wanted by Colombia, US
Venezuelan police have arrested Carlos Alonso Ojeda, who is wanted by Colombia and the United States as one of Latin America's biggest drug lords, the Venezuelan Justice Ministry said on Sunday.

Ojeda, nicknamed "the Engineer," was arrested by agents from the CICPC anti-drug squad in the east of the Venezuelan capital Caracas, said the ministry.

It said there were seven arrest warrants issued for Ojeda by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). He is also listed among Interpol's "red file."

The CICPC was checking the validity of Ojeda's identity papers, which could show he has dual nationality.

As a Venezuelan national, his extradition would have to be agreed upon by the courts. Otherwise, as a Colombian national, he could be deported to Colombian authorities immediately

"It is the right man, there is no doubt about it," Luis Correa, head of the CONACUID anti-drug agency said. "He was the head of anorganization that distributed heroin and cocaine to the U.S. and Europe. He was a hard man."

Venezuela is a conduit for cocaine which travels from Colombia, the world's biggest exporter, through the Caribbean to Europe or the United States. Venezuela's eastern coastline is a popular way to smuggle cocaine out to the Caribbean, using speedboats.

Venezuela and the U.S. have recently resumed joint anti-drug operations, after a break of several months, following a diplomatic row in which Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez accused the DEA agents of spying. Meanwhile, the U.S. has described Chavez as a failure in its war on drugs.