HIGH COURT CLEARS WAY TO EXTRADITE DRUG SUSPECT TO U.S.

(Bogota, Colombia) -- Supreme Court judges cleared the way Tuesday for
an alleged drug boss to become the first Colombian extradited to the
United States in nearly 10 years.

In a unanimous decision, nine Supreme Court magistrates approved a
U.S. request to extradite Jaime Orlando Lara, who is accused of
shipping heroin to U.S. cities.

If the government of President Andres Pastrana approves the U.S.
extradition request, Lara will become the first Colombian to be
extradited since 1990. Few analysts believe that Pastrana, who has
much better relations with the U.S. than his predecessor in office,
will oppose the decision.

Police say Lara headed a heroin distribution ring with outlets in
Houston, Miami and New York and smuggled the drug by hiding it in
commercial airliners and in passengers' luggage.

The extradition of Colombian citizens for trial abroad was prohibited
in the country's 1991 constitution. A December 1997 law restored
extradition but only for crimes committed after the new law was enacted.

Other Colombians slated for extradition include Fabio Ochoa, 42, a
former leader of the Medellin cartel, who was arrested last month
along with 29 others in an international drug raid.