US agents have captured the former head of Guinea-Bissau's navy, an alleged kingpin in the west African nation's drugs trade with Latin America, in a sting operation on the high seas, intelligence sources and media said. Jose Americo Bubo Na Tchuto was transferred to the United States after being snatched in international waters near Cape Verde in an operation by US and Cape Verdian agents, state TV in the Atlantic island state reported.

The former head of Guinea-Bissau's navy, ex-rear admiral Jose Americo Bubo Na Tchuto, has been captured and sent to the United States, which suspects him of drug trafficking, local media and sources said late Thursday. "Bubo Na Tchuto has been captured in international waters" near Cape Verde during an operation by "north American and Cape Verdian" police, the public television station RTC reported, adding that "he has already been sent to the United States". Na Tchuto has been on a US list of suspected drug barons since 2010.

West and Central African ministers have pledged to cooperate to halt the spread of sea piracy in the region at a meeting in Benin, West African bloc ECOWAS said Wednesday. Ministers in charge of defence, foreign affairs and security or their representatives met in Cotonou until late Tuesday on a cooperation plan that will be submitted to a summit of regional heads of state, ECOWAS said in a statement. A statement from the Economic Community of Central African States said plans included establishing a regional base to help fight maritime crime.

The United States on Friday condemned Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan's pardon of a political ally who admitted massive embezzlement as a "setback" in the fight against corruption. And State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Washington had warned the Nigerian government that it could have implications for US aid. "The United States government was deeply disappointed over the recent pardons of corrupt officials by the Nigerian government," Nuland said.