Last week, El Aissami told the National Assembly that President Hugo Chavez's administration was committed to fighting the illegal drug trade, noting that 30 tonnes of drugs were seized in 2009.

The interior minister told the legislators that drug seizures had 'tripled' in Venezuela since Chavez scrapped an agreement four years ago with the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

In July 2005, Chavez ordered the suspension of Venezuela's cooperation agreement with the DEA after accusing US drug enforcement agents of acting as political spies.