Colombia spurns US request to extradite reputed Venezuelan cocaine kingpin, will send him home

Colombia spurns US extradition for reputed narco
Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos gestures during a Press Conference marking his first 100 days in office at the presidential palace in Bogota, Colombia, Tuesday Nov. 16, 2010. 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...

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'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...

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...

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...

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...

Florida Rep. Mack says Obama must get tough with Venezuela's Chavez - Politics AP - MiamiHerald.com
Florida Rep. Connie Mack asked the U.S. State Department last Friday to come out swinging in the fight to extradite a Venezuelan Drug Lord who has threatened to expose high-level government Corruption in his homeland. Walid Makled-Garcia, who has been in a Colombian jail since August, says he paid Venezuelan officials millions of dollars for access to airports he used to ship Cocaine to Central America on its way to the United States. Makled-Garcia, who was indicted in New York Federal Court l...

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 ...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Colombia Should Ditch U.S. 'Special Relationship': El Espectador, Colombia
"It makes no sense to continue insisting on a “special relationship” that was a consequence of the country’s weakness … This is an anachronism. … It is a necessity to diminish the anti-drug instrument with which the United States has exercised such profound influence on Colombia for the last 20 years."...

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...

'Merchant of death' preferred clients who would kill Americans: feds
Russia's "Merchant of Death" sold arms all over the world but preferred to have clients who would Murder Americans, Federal officials said today before his arraignment in Manhattan Federal Court. Viktor Bout, who amassed a $6 Billion fortune by arming warlords on three continents, faces at least 25 years to life in jail after being extradited from Thailand. "Many believe Bout did not care who his weapons killed. But he did care. Based on his recorded coversations Bout said he preferred murderi...

Exclusive Russian video of Viktor Bout being led away in shackles
Russian news agency RiaNovosti managed to film about a minute of dialogue with arms-dealing suspect Viktor Bout while he was still in a Thailand Prison. This was prior to his Extradition to the United States, where he arrived last night. The DEA was awaiting his arrival in Westchester, whereby he will be transferred to New York City. He is scheduled to appear in Federal District Court in Manhattan on Wednesday, awaiting arraignment on Terrorism charges. There have been very vigorous Protests by ...

CBC News - World - Russian arms-dealing suspect taken to U.S.
Russian Arms trafficking suspect Viktor Bout was flown from Bangkok to New York on Tuesday in a chartered U.S. plane, extradited in manacles despite a final outraged push by Russian Diplomats to persuade Thailand to release him, the U.S. attorney's office said. Bout's Extradition followed a bruising diplomatic tug-of-war between the U.S. and Russia that could jeopardize co-operation on Nuclear Arms Control and the War in Afghanistan. A former Soviet Military officer and Air cargo executive nickn...

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...

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...

Bout pleads not guilty to U.S. arms dealing charges
New York (Reuters) - Suspected Russian Arms dealer Viktor Bout pleaded Not Guilty in a U.S. Court and was ordered held without bail on Wednesday, as Moscow said his Extradition was illegal and threatened improving ties with Washington. The 43-year-old former Soviet Air Force officer was flown to New York from Thailand late on Tuesday to face Terrorism and Arms trafficking charges. "The so-called 'Merchant of Death' is now a Federal inmate," Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara told reporters. ...

Southeast Asia news and business from Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam
BANGKOK - Moscow denounced Thailand's Extradition of suspected Russian weapons smuggler Viktor Bout to New York on Tuesday, after entrapping him in a US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) 2008 Sting Operation in Bangkok for allegedly selling surface-to-air Missiles and other weapons to a Colombian rebel group the US considers Terrorists. In a surprise move, the Thai government plucked Bout from a Bangkok Prison and discreetly handed him over to waiting US officials, who bundled him onto a pl...