Report: Colombia Postal Probe

U.S. military and diplomatic officials are investigating whether employees at the American embassy in Colombia may have used the diplomatic postal system to smuggle illegal drugs into the United States, The Washington Post reported.

The investigation began after the wife of the U.S. Army officer commanding anti-drug smuggling efforts in Colombia was arrested for shipping cocaine to the United States through the Army Postal Service (APO) which is used by U.S. missions abroad.

Six to eight embassy employees and dependents are being investigated, the Post said in its Saturday editions, quoting sources in Washington and in Bogota, the Colombian capital. Only the officer's wife has been charged so far.

Officials said mail sent through the APO is rarely inspected.

The American embassy in Bogota has been a recent target of criticism in Congress because of several problems and the focus on Colombia as a major source of illegal drugs smuggled into the United States.