THIRTY COLOMBIANS SOUGHT BY THE U.S.

The United States has requested the extradition of 30 Colombian drug
suspects arrested in a major sweep two months ago, the U.S. ambassador said
Friday in Bogota, Colombia. Among those named in the petition is Fabio
Ochoa, a former top leader of the notorious Medellin cocaine cartel. The
requests were delivered as Colombia, the source country for 80 percent of
the world's cocaine, is resuming extradition of its nationals after a
nine-year hiatus.

Colombian police, acting on a U.S. request, arrested Ochoa and 29 other men
and women Oct. 13. The suspects are accused of belonging to an international
mafia that smuggled 30 tons of cocaine a month into the United States
through Mexico.