Assault on Justices in Bogota Linked to US Extradition

On November 7, 1985, the assault on the Palace of Justice in Bogota in which more than 50 persons died has been blamed on a connection between the M-19 guerrillas and drug traffickers.  President Belsario Betancur in a speech broadcast on television suggested that the rebels had been connected to drug traffickers, and that the rebels destroyed court files that included cases of people the United States is seeking to extradite.  The conclusion of an extradition and mutual assistance in ciminal matters treaty between the U.S. and Colombia has led to cooperation in arresting and extraditing Colombia nationals accused for violating narcotics laws.