Venezuela seizes 2 tons of cocaine, arrest 3

May 11, 4:00 PM EDT
Venezuela seizes 2 tons of cocaine, arrest 3

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- Venezuelan authorities have seized about two tons of cocaine and arrested three suspects in their largest drug bust in recent months, the country's top counter-drug official said Monday.

Nestor Reverol, director of Venezuela's National Anti-Drug Agency, said police and soldiers discovered 4,370 pounds (1,983 kilograms) of cocaine during a raid on a ranch in central Miranda state on Saturday. Three suspects, a Colombian citizens and two Venezuelans, were arrested.

Reverol hailed the action as "another tough blow" against smugglers using Venezuela as part of a cocaine trail toward the United States and Europe. "We ratify the Venezuelan state's commitment in the head-on fight against drug trafficking."

The smugglers planned to load the cocaine onto a vessel along the coast, he said. In a separate case, police seized 1,830 pounds (830 kilograms) of marijuana at a roadside checkpoint in the western state of Trujillo.

More:
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/L/LT_VENEZUELA_DRUG_SEIZURE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2009-05-11-16-00-23