y continued to work with the U.S. in accordance with the 1994 hot pursuit agreement to enable U.S. assets to track suspect aircraft flying known narcotics routes to the Caribbean. In 1998, Venezuela gave clearance to 30 USG aircraft conducting hot pursuits of suspect aircraft. However, the armed forces continue to lack an effective strategy to deter drug traffickers from using Venezuelan airspace for transporting drugs. Law enforcement agencies and the Ministry of Defense received adequate resources to carry out counternarcotics activities in 1998. Both the Technical Judicial Police and the National Guard expanded their anti-drug activities in 1998 in accordance with the government's four-year counternarcotics strategy. Training and acquisition of equipment were a particular emphasis. Although the CNA continues to work to coordinate law enforcement actions, rivalry and lack of cooperation have continued to hamper counternarcotics activities. Other law enforcement agencies, including the metropolitan and state police forces, receive more limited resources for counternarcotics related activities. The Government of Venezuela does not as a matter of policy or practice encourage or facilitate drug trafficking or money laundering, nor do its senior officials engage in, encourage, or facilitate such activities. However, corruption continues to be a major problem in law enforcement and the judicial system. In 1998, Venezuelan authorities moved against corruption in the Customs Service and prosecuted several officials for narcotics-related corruption. The Judicial Reform Program is designed to reduce the opportunities for corruption in the judicial sector. CNA Minister Carlos Tablante spot-lighted this issue in 1998, when he publicly called for punishment of specific judges suspected of corruption in narcotics cases. To reduce corruption, the names of Venezuelan officials suspected of involvement in narcotics-related and other criminal activity ...
