The top traffickers made a peace gesture, an almost-impudent invitation for President Betancur to "consider our reincorporation, in the near future, into Colombian society."

Until last fall, no other top traffickers followed Mr. Felix Gallardo into jail.

"I am not certain it was the Extraditables," he said, referring to a group of top traffickers.

With the surrender of the top traffickers, what is going to happen to these young men with a taste for easy money?

Cocaine hot lines have been set up, computer networks established and top traffickers locked up.

"This is like news writing," he said, asserting that fans, like newspaper readers, are fascinated by the details of the top traffickers' lives.

The top traffickers never touch drugs themselves.

Underlings do the actual selling, making it difficult to prosecute the top traffickers.

"Ask the D.E.A. why they haven't captured the top traffickers in the United States," the Mexican official shot back.

"Colombia's judicial system is now incapable of bringing top traffickers to justice," a foreign expert said.