Colombian authorities turned over 13 Colombians accused of drug trafficking and money-laundering to U.S. courts, police said.

The alleged drug traffickers were arrested in 2005 and 2006, Colombia's Judicial Investigation Police Department (DIJIN) said.

The DIJIN formally handed over them to U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) officials at the military base of Eldorado airport in Bogota.

Colombia has so far this year handed over 74 Colombians accused of committing various crimes in the United States.

Six of the 13 have been accused of committing crimes in Florida, two in New York and one in Washington, the DIJIN said in a statement.

The 13 Colombians were extradited four days after Colombia extradited Luis Hernandez, one of the 12 most wanted alleged drug traffickers in both countries with a five-million reward offered by the United States.

Colombia has extradited 619 people, most of them to the U.S., for drug trafficking since President Alvaro Uribe took power in 2002.

Güncelleme Tarihi: 23 Temmuz 2007, 13:29