HEROIN FOUND ON COLOMBIAN MILITARY PLANE

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Thirteen pounds of heroin has been found on the same
Colombian Air Force cargo plane on which U.S. Customs agents found 1,639
pounds (743 kilograms) of cocaine Monday, law enforcement sources told CNN.

The C-130 was seized at the Fort Lauderdale International Airport after a
drug-sniffing dog alerted officials to the cocaine, which was hidden inside
the framework of several cargo pallets.

The heroin was discovered when Colombian officials, who flew to the United
States to help with the investigation, pointed out where they thought more
drugs could be hidden.

U.S. officials have stressed that Colombian officials have cooperated fully
with the effort.

The plane makes regular trips to Florida -- about twice a month -- bringing
Colombian military equipment for repairs.

The six-member crew and a family of five who flew into the United States on
the plane were released Tuesday after no evidence was found to link them to
the illegal stash of drugs.

The plane remained in U.S. custody while the investigation continued.

Pastrana: U.S. failed to warn Colombia beforehand

In his first official comment on the embarrassing incident, Colombian
President Andres Pastrana chastised the U.S. Friday for not warning
Colombia that one of its planes was departing for Florida with cocaine on
board.

U.S. Customs officials have not confirmed or denied Pastrana's accusation
that they knew the cocaine was on board the C-130 before it left Bogota.

"Why, if they knew about this cargo ... didn't they tell us first?"
Pastrana told reporters. "We're truly sad that an incident like this one
again blemishes the image of an entire country."

In 1996, Colombian authorities uncovered 8 pounds (3.5 kilos) of heroin on
an air force plane that was preparing to take then- President Ernesto
Samper to New York for a meeting of the U.N. General Assembly.

On Friday, Pastrana also questioned why U.S. authorities chose to seize the
drugs at Fort Lauderdale International Airport instead of tracking the
shipment to its final destination.

The incident has led to the arrest of at least eight members of Colombia's
Air Force, including a security chief at Bogota's military air base, and a
major shake-up of its command structure. Air Force chief Gen. Jose Manuel
Sandoval resigned Tuesday.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Checked-by: Mike Gogulski