World IN BRIEF : COLOMBIA : Drug Lords Target Europe, Report Says

Colombian drug cartels and the Mafia are building a cocaine empire in Western European countries, which have replaced the United States as the biggest market for the drug, Bogota’s El Tiempo newspaper reported, citing a joint study by the international police organization Interpol and the Colombian intelligence police. The Bogota offices of both Interpol and the intelligence police were closed Sunday, and no one could be reached for comment. The European market will continue to grow because of the Italian Mafia’s intention to preserve its distribution monopoly and the Colombian cartels’ desire to capture part of the market, according to the study.