Venezuela accuses DEA of spying, suspends ties

CARACAS, Venezuela -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Sundayaccused the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration of using its agentsfor espionage, and said Venezuela was suspending cooperation with theU.S. agency.

Chavez, who regularly accuses the U.S. government of plottingagainst him, said "the DEA isn't absolutely necessary for the fightagainst drug trafficking."

U.S. Ambassador William Brownfield said last week that the UnitedStates had hoped to maintain cooperative anti-drug efforts inVenezuela, and that without them "there is only one group that wins,and that group is the drug traffickers."

Chavez maintains that the DEA has been using the fight againstdrugs as a pretext to gather intelligence on Venezuela.

"The DEA was using the fight against drug trafficking as a mask,to support drug trafficking, to carry out intelligence in Venezuelaagainst the government," Chavez said.