GRAPEVINE

By DAVID ELLIS

When Colombian police began cracking down on the narcotics trade, traffickers coined a defiant slogan: "Better a tomb in Colombia than a cell in the United States." Now that drug kingpins can avoid extradition under a new plea- bargaining agreement, a cell in Colombia has become a very attractive compromise. Since Medellin drug-cartel leaders Jorge, Fabio and Juan David Ochoa surrendered to Colombian authorities in recent months, they have been housed in a custom-tailored facility. Angry U.S. drug-enforcement officials complain that the Ochoa brothers are enjoying posh accommodations equipped with fancy furniture, stereos and cable television.

With reporting by Sidney Urquhart