Panama Extradited Accused Drug Trafficker To The United States

Panama has extradited the alleged drug trafficker Andrés Cajiao Barberena to the United States, where he is accused of being responsible for having run in the Caribbean country an international cartel that trafficked tons of cocaine and heroin, said the US Justice Department on Friday. Cajiao Barberena came to the United States on Thursday and Friday be was to be brought before a judge in New York, said the statement from the Department. According to U.S. authorities, Cajiao Barberena was in charge of operations in Panama of the cartel led by Manuel Felipe Salazar-Espinosa capo, that between 2002 and 2005 trafficked to the United States about 5 tons of cocaine. Salazar-Espinosa was convicted in 2007 in New York to 30 years in prison. "Thanks again to our international colleagues, today we have taken another important step" in the fight against drugs, said the prosecutor in the Southern District of New York, Preet Bharara. If convicted, Cajiao Barberena could be sentenced from 10 years to life. (Estrella)