The war of words over drug trafficking is creating additional diplomatic problems between the United States and Venezuela. 

From the AP (via Google News):

President Hugo Chavez’s insistence that Venezuela doesn’t need U.S. help in fighting drug trafficking is raising diplomatic tensions as American officials warn of a surge in cocaine flights out of the country.

New surveillance estimates released by U.S. counter-drug officials say there has been a more than 16-fold increase in the amount of cocaine departing Venezuela by air since 2002. They say that rise — combined with a doubling of smuggling by sea — pushed the estimated flow of Colombian cocaine through Venezuela to 282 tons (256 metric tons) last year, four times higher than in 2004.

But Chavez dismisses the estimates as an attempt to discredit his government and has rebuffed U.S. offers of help. His vice president, Ramon Carrizalez, said Monday that Venezuela is cooperating internationally — just not on the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s terms.

“The DEA asks for freedom to fly over our territory indiscriminately,” Carrizalez said. “Well, they aren’t going to have that freedom. We are a sovereign country.”

Since 2005, Venezuela has suspended cooperation with the DEA after it accused the agency of espionage. 

Venezuela’s Black Market is listed at $497 Million and ranked 30th on the Havocscope Black Market Countries Index.