Colombia spurns US extradition for reputed narco

Colombia spurns US extradition for reputed narco
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos spurned a U.S. request to extradite an alleged Cocaine kingpin from Venezuela, saying Tuesday that the suspect will be sent back to face charges in his home country. Walid Makled, 41, has claimed close ties with Venezuela’s Socialist Government and the U.S. State Department last year called him that country’s “largest drug trafficker.” The announcement drew fierce criticism from U.S. Rep. Connie Mack. Th...

Colombia spurns US extradition for reputed narco
Bogota, Colombia - Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos spurned a U.S. request to extradite an alleged Cocaine kingpin from Venezuela, saying Tuesday that the suspect will be sent back to face charges in his home country. Walid Makled, 41, has claimed close ties with Venezuela's Socialist Government and the U.S. State Department last year called him that country's "largest drug trafficker." The announcement drew fierce criticism from U.S. Rep. Connie Mack. The Florida Republican accuse...

Colombia spurns US request to extradite reputed Venezuelan cocaine kingpin, will send him home
Bogota, Colombia — Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos spurned a U.S. request to extradite an alleged Cocaine kingpin from Venezuela, saying Tuesday that the suspect will be sent back to face charges in his home country. Walid Makled, 41, has claimed close ties with Venezuela's Socialist Government and the U.S. State Department last year called him that country's "largest drug trafficker." The announcement drew fierce criticism from U.S. Rep. Connie Mack. The Florida Republican accus...

Colombia's Santos: Not the Friend the United States Thought
Colombia's recently elected President, Juan Manuel Santos, has yet again proven that he puts regional political pressure above his commitment to Colombia's most important ally – the United States. This morning, in delivering the report for his first 100 days in office, Santos announced that he would seek Extradition for Walid Makled, Venezuela's most significant Drug kingpin, captured on August 18th in Colombia and wanted by the United States for Drug trafficking, back to Venezuela. In his spee...

Caracas deports Colombia 'rebels'
Venezuela has deported three suspected Left-wing rebels to Colombia, a sign of improving relations. Colombia says one belongs to the FARC rebel group, while the other two allegedly belong to the ELN. Earlier this year, then Colombian President Alvaro Uribe claimed Venezuela was harbouring rebels. The Deportations come a day after Colombia promised to extradite a drug suspect, Walid Makled, to Venezuela rather than the United States. Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez had expressed concern...

Colombia to extradite 'drug lord'
Colombia says an alleged Venezuelan Drugs kingpin arrested earlier this year will be extradited to Venezuela, rather than the US. President Juan Manuel Santos said he had given his word to President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela that the suspect, Walid Makled, would be sent home. Mr Makled is accused of Smuggling tons of Cocaine into the US. He alleges he was supported by Venezuelan officials. The decision is a sign of improving ties between Colombia and Venezuela. President Chavez had expressed c...

Colombian military hits rebel camp, kills 14 - Yahoo! News UK
Colombian Air and ground Forces attacked a guerrilla encampment near the border with Ecuador, killing 14 rebels in the latest of a series of punishing Military operations, Military officials said. Skip related content Colombian Air Forces first bombed the camp, then followed with an assault by elite Helicopter-borne infantry, the officials said. General Jairo Antonio Herazo, head of the Pacific Joint Command, told a news Conference Monday that ground Troops recovered the bodies of 14 guerrillas ...

Colombia to extradite accused Venezuelan drug lord
By Luis Jaime Acosta Bogota | Tue Nov 16, 2010 10:03pm EST Bogota (Reuters) - Colombia will extradite a businessman accused of being a Drug kingpin back to his native Venezuela, President Juan Manuel Santos said on Tuesday, in a move bound to warm already improving ties between the neighbors. Walid Makled, known as "The Turk," was captured in August in Colombia in a joint operation with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and was also wanted for Extradition to the United States on Charge...

Army troops kill 14 rebels in latest anti-FARC offensive
Colombian Troops attacked a FARC camp near the Ecuadorean border on Monday, killing 14 rebels in the latest in a series of offensives against the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia since President Juan Manuel Santos took office in August. AFP - Colombian Air and ground Forces attacked a guerrilla encampment near the border with Ecuador, killing 14 rebels in the latest of a series of punishing Military operations, Military officials said. Colombian Air Forces first bombed the camp, then foll...

Colombia to extradite accused Venezuelan drug lord
By Luis Jaime Acosta Bogota | Tue Nov 16, 2010 2:00pm EST Bogota (Reuters) - Colombia will extradite a businessman accused of being a Drug kingpin back to his native Venezuela, President Juan Manuel Santos said on Tuesday, in a move bound to warm already improving ties between the neighbors. Walid Makled, known as "The Turk," was captured in August in Colombia in a joint operation with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and was also wanted for Extradition to the United States on Charges...

Venezuela sets up 'CNN rival'
In a popular shopping area of Caracas, with street musicians playing a bolero in the background, Jorge Botero is filming a promo for Latin America's most ambitious new satellite channel. A young journalism Student walks into shot and says: "The news on Telesur, the true face of Latin America." Telesur is a new pan-Latin American TV channel based in Venezuela. It aims to rival CNN and the other Spanish-language news channels coming out of Miami and Atlanta. Some have already dubbed it Al-Boliv...

Colombian military kill 14 rebels
AFP Colombian Air and ground Forces have attacked a guerrilla encampment near the border with Ecuador, killing 14 rebels in the latest of a series of punishing Military operations, Military officials said. Colombian Air Forces first bombed the camp, then followed with an assault by elite Helicopter-borne infantry, the officials said. General Jairo Antonio Herazo, head of the Pacific Joint Command, told a news Conference on Monday that ground Troops recovered the bodies of 14 guerrillas in the...

Russian arms dealer suspect to face US judge
NEW YORK (AFP) – Russia's so-called "Merchant of Death," who allegedly ran an arms dealing empire across three continents, was to face a US judge Wednesday after a cloak-and-dagger Extradition from Thailand that enraged Moscow. Viktor Bout, 43, was to be arraigned before Judge Shira Scheindlin in New York Federal Court at 1:00 pm (1800 GMT) on Terrorism charges that carry a maximum penalty of life in Prison and minimum penalty of 25 years. He arrived overnight under heavy g...

Colombian troops kill 13 rebels
The Colombian Military says Air and ground Forces have attacked a FARC rebel camp near the Ecuador border, killing at least 13 guerrillas. Air Force planes first bombed the encampment, with Helicopter-borne infantry then moving in to attack the location, officials said. Two Children in the camp were wounded - one later died of his injuries. The operation was the latest in a recent series of high-profile offensives against FARC rebels. Gen Jairo Herezo, head of the Joint Pacific Command, told...

Colombia Should Ditch U.S. Special Relationship: El Espectador, Colombia
Under its new president, Juan Manuel Santos, Colombian policymakers are preparing for a change in relations with the United States, which, according to columnist Alvaro Forero Tascon of Colombia’s Semana, has been based on Colombian weakness and the-now-diminishing American influence. For Semana, Alvaro Forero Tascon writes in part: What President Santos calls “speaking in equal terms” with the United States is not overconfidence on his part, but his reading that there has been a chan...

At 13 rebels killed in military raid in Colombia - People's Daily Online
At least 13 members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) were killed on Monday during a Military Raid and bombing of a rebel camp near the border with Ecuador, the Colombian Defense Ministry said in a statement. "The Troops which entered the camp of the FARC's 48th squad recovered the bodies of 13 Terrorists, and captured two survivors, including an Ecuadorian minor," the Defense Ministry said. "It was a vital hit to squad 48, the entity which gives the FARC the mo...

Alleged Russian arms dealer pleads not guilty
Viktor Bout, the Russian alleged to be one of the world's biggest illegal arms dealers, pleaded Not Guilty to Terrorism charges in a US Court Wednesday, hours after being extradited from Thailand. "He will plead not Guilty," a lawyer for Bout said in New York Federal Court before Judge Shira Scheindlin ordered the alleged arm dealer to remain in detention until a hearing set for January 10. Bout, 43, faces a maximum penalty of life in Prison and minimum of 25 years if found Guilty. Advertiseme...

Russian arms suspect pleads not guilty in NY court
NEW YORK (AP) - A Russian Arms trafficking suspect labeled the "Merchant of Death" has pleaded Not Guilty in a New York City Court, where he's charged with supporting Terrorists trying to overthrow the government of Colombia. Viktor Bout (boot) was ordered held without bail following his appearance Wednesday in Manhattan Federal Court. At a news Conference, U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara (bah-RAHR'-ah) said Bout's Extradition from Thailand is proof that "no one is beyond the reach of the Law." T...

Alleged Russian arms dealer pleads not guilty
Viktor Bout, the Russian alleged to be one of the world's biggest illegal arms dealers, pleaded Not Guilty to Terrorism charges in a US Court Wednesday, hours after being extradited from Thailand. "He will plead not Guilty," a lawyer for Bout said in New York Federal Court before Judge Shira Scheindlin ordered the alleged arm dealer to remain in detention until a hearing set for January 10. Bout, 43, faces a maximum penalty of life in Prison and minimum of 25 years if found Guilty. US prosecu...

More Military Success Against the FARC
The bombing was against one of the most important units of the FARC, known as Front 48. According to officials, about 35 rebels were at the camp. They are led by a guerrilla known as "Euclides," who is accused of shipping 25 metric tons of Cocaine from Colombia to Central America and Europe. "This is a decisive blow against Front 48, the structure that generates the most resources for the FARC by means of drug trafficking," Rivera said. "This is a new success of the join...

Douglas Farah
Well, it took a long time and the road was filled with twists and turns, but Viktor Bout, accused of selling weapons around the world and busted trying to close a multi-million dollar deal with people he thought represented a designated Terrorist Organization, is finally on his way to stand trial in the United States. Bout was arrested in Thailand in March 2008 after being taken in by a DEA undercover operation, where the Russian thought he was selling sophisticated weapons to the Revolutiona...

Drug traffickers swap sea for sky - Crime - NZ Herald News
Seized Cocaine is torched in Panama City. South American Drug Smugglers are sending Drugs to Europe via Africa. Photo / AP Seized Cocaine is torched in Panama City. South American Drug Smugglers are sending Drugs to Europe via Africa. Photo / AP NEW YORK - United States prosecutors in a series of Court Cases say they are beginning to unravel the latest development in Drug Smuggling: South American gangs that are buying old planes, filling them with Cocaine and flying them more than 5000km across...

U.S.: 'Grave concern' on religious freedom
Published: Nov. 17, 2010 at 10:00 PM WASHINGTON, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- The U.S. State Department expressed "grave concern" Wednesday over what it called a growing trend of people being repatriated to face Religious persecution. In its Annual Report on International Religious Freedom, covering the period from July 1, 2009, to June 30, 2010, the Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor said there have been "credible reports that the government of China attempted to forcibly return Uighu...

Suspected Russian arms trafficker Bout arrives in US
Suspected Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout was jailed here Wednesday after being extradited from Thailand to face charges of conspiring to sell surface-to-air missiles and other weapons to Colombian rebels. Bout, who arrived aboard a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) charter plane, is due to appear in a US Federal Court on Wednesday before US District Judge Shira Scheindlin. US Attorney General Eric Holder called it "a victory for the Rule of Law worldwide," and Colombian President Juan Man...

Viktor Bout Pleads Not Guilty To Terrorism Charges Hours After Extradition - Corruption Currents - WSJ
Yahoo! Buzz Viktor Bout, the alleged Russian arms dealer whose reported escapades inspired the film “Lord of War,” pleaded Not Guilty in a New York court to charges that he agreed to supply Colombian Terrorists with weapons with the intent to kill Americans. The Plea came only hours after Bout was extradited from Thailand, after two years of legal wrangling. Bout, a former Soviet Air Force officer, arrived Tuesday night at Westchester County Airport in New York. Bout runs an Air...