CARACAS, Venezuela – Venezuelan National Guard troops have seized a shipment of 1.4 metric tons (1.5 tons) of cocaine stashed in a compartment in a cargo truck.
Justice Minister Nestor Reverol announced Sunday's bust on television, saying the truck was stopped at a checkpoint in western Lara state. He says the cocaine came from neighboring Colombia and the Venezuelan driver was arrested.
Officials showed the truck with its side cut open to reveal a compartment behind the cab where the cocaine was hidden.
Venezuela has been a major route for cocaine trafficking in recent years. U.S. and Colombian officials have said a majority of northbound smuggling flights originate in the country.
Reverol says the bust is one of many that have shown his government's commitment to combatting the flow of drugs.
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