Drug Trafficking Crackdown Prompts Colombia to Seize 128
The Colombian government Wednesday ordered the arrest of 128 people suspected of involvement in drug trafficking and empowered state organizations to carry out search operations throughout the country.
The measure came in the context of an all-out offensive against drug barons by President Virgilio Barco, after the assassination of a prominent newspaperman last month.
Guillermo Cano, director of the Espectador newspaper and a crusader against drugs, was killed Dec. 14 outside his office, and his death was attributed to drug dealers.
The list of suspects includes eight members of the so-called Medellin cartel, named after Colombia’s second-largest city, and center of the drug trade.
The government order contains information on the 128 suspects and gives powers, in special circumstances, for arrest without previous warrant and detention without charges under a judge’s order for 10 days.
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