THIRD U.S. DRUG HELICOPTER CRASHES IN ONE MONTH

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) -- A helicopter donated by the United States crashed
in foul weather in a war-torn northern region of Colombia, killing seven
police officers, authorities have reported.

The wreckage of the UH-1H helicopter, part of a fleet of Vietnam-era
"Hueys" supplied by the U.S. government to help fight drug trafficking, was
found Sunday in Uraba province, about 290 miles northwest of Bogota. There
were no survivors.

The banana-growing region has been a major battleground in a decades-long
war between leftist rebels and the state. But police said the helicopter
was on an anti-narcotics mission and insisted the guerrillas had no role in
the crash late Saturday.

Checked-by: (Joel W. Johnson)