Pubdate: Wed, 17 Nov 2010
Source: Latin American Herald-Tribune (Venezuela)
Copyright: 2010 Latin American Herald-Tribune
Contact: http://www.laht.com/Contacts.asp
Website: http://www.laht.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/5047

TWO BRAZILIAN POLICE DIE IN CLASH WITH DRUG SMUGGLERS

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Two Brazilian federal police officers were killed 
and a third badly wounded Wednesday in a battle with drug traffickers 
in the Amazon region, authorities said.

The shooting erupted in the wee hours when the crew of a police 
launch tried to board a suspected smuggling boat headed east on the 
Solimoes River, a tributary of the Amazon.

Authorities had intelligence indicating the boat was carrying 500 
kilos (1,100 pounds) of cocaine from neighboring Peru or Colombia, 
federal police said in a statement.

The officers who tried to board the boat were shot by rifle-toting 
gunmen traveling on a third vessel that was apparently escorting the 
drug shipment.

The incident took place in the Codajas area, about 240 kilometers 
(149 miles) from Manaus, capital of Amazonas state and the largest 
city in the Amazon region.

While reinforcements, including helicopter units, were sent to aid 
the officers under attack, the statement did not say whether any of 
the assailants were killed or captured.

But unconfirmed press accounts said three of the attackers were killed.

Police seized 127 kilos of cocaine last week in a confrontation with 
smugglers on the Rio Negro, another Amazon tributary, and 2.5 tons of 
the drug have been confiscated in Amazonas state this year.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart