Cuba informs US of drug kingpin arrest
Wednesday, July 14, 2004
WASHINGTON, USA (AFP): The US State
Department said Tuesday Cuba had informed it of the arrest of an alleged
Colombian drug kingpin wanted in the United States, but his possible
extradition here remains unclear. "The Cuban
government has informed us by our interests section in Havana that they've
arrested an individual who claims to be Luis Hernandez Gomez," department
spokesman Richard Boucher told reporters. "At
this point, we're looking at it as a law enforcement matter and our law
enforcement agencies are studying the situation," he said.
Colombian officials had urged Cuba Monday to quickly extradite Luis Hernando
Gomez Bustamante, the alleged leader of the Norte del Valle cartel, but Cuban
Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque said he "has been in our country a short
time." The minister said Cuba was
investigating the 46-year-old Gomez Bustamante, arrested July 2 at Cuba's
international airport for carrying a false passport.
"Cuban police authorities (and) the anti-drug agency are in contact with their
Colombian counterparts, (and) moving forward with the investigation," Perez
Roque had said. Colombian authorities want to
charge Gomez Bustamante in order to extradite him to the United States, where
he is wanted for allegedly heading a cartel believed to ship 30 to 50 percent
of the cocaine sold in the United States.
Boucher referred to the Department of Justice for any comment on his possible
extradition to the United States.
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