The National Anti-Drug Superintendent of Venezuela, Richard López Vargas, stated that in the first half of 2022, 22 tons of drugs have been seized.
He said this at the XXIII High Level Meeting of the Community of Latin American States (Celac) and the European Union (EU). López Vargas pointed out, according to a statement from the Venezuelan Ministry of the Interior, that this figure represents an increase of 20.41% in relation to the first semester of the previous year.
It also indicated that in 2021, 51.47 tons of drugs were seized, being “the highest number of seizures in the last 10 years.”
The official did not detail what type of drugs have been seized.
He added that they have had approaches with other countries such as Cuba, Mexico, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, France and Russia to promote exchange and strategies to counteract this scourge.
López Vargas assured that the Government of Paraguay “prevented” Venezuelan officials from participating in person at this meeting held in Asunción.
On June 21, Venezuelan and Russian authorities met to advance cooperation in customs administration and in the fight against drug trafficking and drug smuggling, reported López Vargas.
“(At the meeting) we were accompanied by representatives of the National Integrated Customs and Tax Administration Service to continue deepening bilateral cooperation in customs management, the fight against drugs and smuggling,” he wrote on his Twitter account. EFE
