Venezuela seizes 28 airplanes presumably used by drug traffickers

Venezuela finds dozens of suspected drug planes

CARACAS, Venezuela — Authorities have discovered 28 airplanes in central Venezuela that were presumably being used by drug traffickers.

A security official from central Guarico state says the planes were found inside a hangar on the outskirts of El Sombrero. The town is located in a rural area about 143 miles (230 kilometers) from Caracas.

Hedy Ramirez told the state-run ABN news agency on Sunday that federal police and National Guard troops have taken control of the hangar and impounded the planes while investigations proceed.

The planes are mostly small aircraft typically used by drug runners.

Venezuela is a major hub for traffickers smuggling Colombian cocaine to the United States and Europe.