Unusual harsh criticism of the Venezuelan president for increase in drugs shipments.

U.S. drug czar points finger at Chavez.U.S.

In unusually harsh criticism of the Venezuelan president, John P. Walters blames lack of enforcement for an increase in drug shipments.

The public criticism by Walters, who heads the Office of National Drug Control Policy, was unusually harsh for the Bush administration, which has tried to steer clear of provoking the fiery Venezuelan leader.

"Where are the big seizures, where are the big arrests of individuals who are at least logistical coordinators? When it's being launched from controlled airports and seaports, where are the arrests of corrupt officials? At some point here, this is tantamount to collusion," Walters said in an interview.

Complaints about Venezuelan counter-narcotics operations have risen since August 2005, when Chavez ordered a halt to all cooperation with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration office in Caracas, the Venezuelan capital.

Then-U.S. Ambassador William Brownfield said in 2006 that the amount of drugs flowing through Venezuela had quintupled in five years.

"On the destination side of this flow, there has been action, but on the departure side of the flow, Chavez has not responded, not even in the minimal way," Walters said.

Source: Latimes.com