Venezuela's enforcement officials arrest US citizen on drug trafficking charges

[Judi Lynn]

Source: El Universal - opposition newspaper

CARACAS, Thursday March 12, 2009
Venezuela's enforcement officials arrest US citizen on drug trafficking charges

Edward Wirth Broff, who landed at Maturín from a Caribbean island, was charged with being "accomplice of drug trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and hiding evidence," the Attorney General Office said


Local authorities arrested a US citizen who piloted a plane that landed Monday in the city of Maturín (capital of Monagas state, northeastern Venezuela) for alleged links with drug trafficking, the Attorney General office reported on Thursday.

Edward Wirth Broff, who landed at Maturín from a Caribbean island, was charged with being "accomplice of drug trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and hiding evidence," the Attorney General Office said in a statement, as reported by AFP.

According to the press release, the aircraft, a Cessna 210-L, was subjected to a chemical scan exam, which showed positive results.

So far this year, Venezuela's National Guard has arrested 158 people linked to drug trafficking.

Read more: http://english.eluniversal.com/2009/03/12/en_pol_art_venezuelas-enforcem_12A2252209.shtml

[espiral]

1. re: OP

It is little surprise that Sr Presidente Chávez considers us
to be hypocrites in the matter of narcotraffic. 

Outside of Venezuela, the potential for our drug habit to
destabilize Mexico even further, is what deeply concerns me.
That could spell a dangerous flashpoint with countless more
human life lost at the borders in Texas & Arizona, people
of both nations. This worries my hair gray...

[GreenTea]

2. Well the US government wanted to stop drug trafficking in the region....

Venezuela is certainly doing their part in the past 10 weeks, 158 people...or did the US really just want US troops (CIA) in Venezuela under a guise for what they really want, to overthrow a liberal progressive socialist influential Venezuelan elected government?

[bemildred]

3. Well, I can tell you that they don't really give a shit about the drug trafficing.

Drug trafficing is fine as long as it is illegal and make great big wads of money. Small time producers that sell drugs cheap have to be wiped out though.

[DCKit]

4. So, the CIA rented the plane before he did. What's the big deal?

Good thing they weren't looking for forensic evidence of kidnapping and torture. He'd be in real deep.

[Judi Lynn]

5. DCKit, share your information on forensic envidence of kidnapping and torture with DU'ers.

Something as serious as this charge must be heard, and examined.

Provide links, if you would be kind enough. We don't want to be in the dark on something this important. It wouldn't be right to take someone's word for it instead of actual credible information we can check ourselves.

If Hugo Chavez is kidnapping and torturing people we really need to know. Hell, let's get in there and kick ass! Hey, make the place a sheet of glass, why not? Kill everything and let god sort it all out. Let's go!

Don't come here and drop a load like that on your many admirers. Bring your links with you.

[Nihil]

6. Umm ... Judy?

Maybe I misread DCKit's post but I got the impression that it was
the CIA that would have been leaving the forensic evidence
of kidnapping & torture, not Chavez ...?

:shrug:

[DCKit]

7. Yes, I was, in fact, referring to the CIA's role in extraordinary renditions...

as well as the fact that several of the drug laden planes and jets which have crashed in Mexico, Central and South America over the past several decades are also the same planes rented by the CIA, on many occasions, from shell corporations which exist solely as P.O. boxes or storefronts.

Though Chavez has a lot on his plate, I am, as yet, unaware that anyone but the * maladministration has ever accused him of the kinds of acts that became policy under pResident Numbnuts, right here at home.