The United States has urged Colombian authorities to arrest and extradite 23 Colombians, including six paramilitary chiefs, on charges of drug dealing, Colombian government officials said Tuesday.

Salvatore Mancuso, military chief of the armed rebel group United Self Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), was among those wanted by the United States.

The extradition request came at a time when the Colombian government and the AUC are preparing for a formal resumption of their peace dialogue, which seeks to demobilize 13,000 paramilitary combatants.

Twenty-five Colombians on charges of drug trafficking have been extradited to the United States so far this year.

Source: Xinhua