U.S. DEA AGENT KILLED OUTSIDE BOGOTA NIGHTCLUB

BOGOTA (Reuters) - A U.S. anti-drug agent was shot to death by an
unidentified gunman in a fight outside a Bogota nightclub early Sunday,
police said.

Police and U.S. officials said Frank Moreno, 37, worked for the Drug
Enforcement Administration (DEA) out of the U.S. Embassy in Bogota. His
home town was not immediately known.

``It seems that a big fight broke out and he received a single bullet to
the chest,'' a Bogota police spokesman said.

The killing took place in the so-called Pink Zone, a northern district of
the capital well-known for its discotheques, bars and vibrant night life,
about 1 a.m. (0600 GMT).

A passer-by was injured by a stray bullet, thought to have been fired by
Moreno's killer, police said.

No one was arrested but police said they did not believe the incident was
related to Moreno's DEA work in Colombia. It was not immediately known if
Moreno was in the area with other U.S. agents or if he was off-duty at the
time.

A Washington-based DEA official said only: ``I can confirm a DEA agent was
killed.'' He declined further comment. U.S. Embassy staff could not be
reached.

The U.S. Embassy has refused to give details of the size of the DEA
contingent in Colombia but says it has some 220 advisers, including
military personnel, engaged in anti-drug operations based in Colombia.

Checked-by: Joel W. Johnson