One of the criminals on Interpol’s list most-wanted drug traffickers has been found and arrested.  24-year old Gabriel Alejandro Reyes Beltran was caught in San Cristobal, Venezuela, running one of the barricades associated with anti-government protesters and the conservative opposition. 

Internal affairs minister Miguel Rodriguez said the arrest of Reyes “reveals the relationship between drug smuggling, and other organized crime with the violent protests” that have led to 39 deaths since early February. Another seven people were hurt in clashes in Caracas.  The protesters have famed themselves as university students tired of a stagnant economy and crime.  But now government accusations of criminal elements seem to have been verified.

Meanwhile, Spain has become the first foreign government to act on accusations of the Venezuelan government going too rough on protesters.  Madrid is suspending indefinitely the exports of riot control gear to Venezuela, “given the spiral of violence in the country since the beginning of February,” the Spanish newspaper El Pais reported on its website.