Pubdate: Wed, 29 Mar 2006
Source: Miami Herald (FL)
Copyright: 2006 The Miami Herald
Contact:  http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/262

DRUG SUSPECT SET FREE

CARACAS - (AP) -- Venezuela has freed a Dominican drug suspect 
identified by Washington as a priority drug-trafficking target, 
saying U.S. authorities would not agree to its terms for his extradition.

Judge Hector Coronado Flores dismissed a previous court order to 
extradite Mateo Holguin Ovalle and ruled that he be released, the 
Supreme Court said Monday in a statement on its website.

The decision derails a case cited earlier by U.S. officials as a 
prime example of cooperation with Venezuela in the drug war. But the 
two countries are now locked in a dispute over how to resume joint 
countertrafficking efforts paralyzed since last year.

In February 2004, the court had authorized Holguin Ovalle to be 
handed over to U.S. authorities on condition they guarantee that he 
would not be sentenced to more than 30 years in prison.

Venezuela's constitution prohibits the extradition of drug suspects 
if they could be sentenced to death or more than 30 years in jail.

"Since the term of punishment to be imposed on Mateo Juan Holguin 
Ovalle could not be guaranteed, the extradition ordered cannot be 
carried out," Coronado Flores said in his ruling. Court officials 
confirmed that the Dominican had been freed, though they said they 
did not know the date of his release.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom