Saturday, February 2, 2008

Venezuela confirms death of Colombian drug lord

CARACAS, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- The death of Colombian drug trafficker Wilber Varela in Venezuela was confirmed on Friday by the Venezuela's National Anti Drugs Organization's director Nestor Luis Reverol.

"It has been reliably determined that he is drug trafficker Wilber Varela. Thirty-two coinciding characteristics have been verified," said Reverol.

On Wednesday, a person was found shot to death with seven bullet holes in a beach resort hut of Lomas de Los Angeles sector in Venezuelan city of Merida, and his fingerprints, among other characteristics, matched those of Wilber Varela, said Reverol.

Varela, alias "Jabona" (Soap), was one of Colombia's most notorious drug trafficker on the run and was sought by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. He was allegedly one of the main chiefs of the Norte del Valle drug cartel.

The United States accuses this illicit drug trafficking organization of being responsible for 70 percent of the cocaine sent from Colombia to the United States and had offered a five million-U.S. dollar reward for capturing Varela

Colombian media had announced on Thursday the death of Varela and his bodyguard. Reverol said that Varela's corpse will be formally handed over to Colombian officials.

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