25 Venezuelan officers accused in killings

CARACAS, Venezuela, Feb. 14 (UPI) -- Twenty-five police officers are suspected of unlawfully killing people in Venezuela this year, officials say.

Of the total, 19 have appeared in court on charges, the Latin American Herald Tribune reported Saturday.

Three officers from the Merida state police are accused of the Jan. 28 slayings of eight young males at a hamburger restaurant in La Vigia. A fourth faces charges in another case.

Four officers from the Yaracuy state police are accused of kidnapping and killing Virginia Acosta, a member of a minor party loyal to President Hugo Chavez, the newspaper said.

In Anzoategui state, six officers allegedly are responsible for the deaths of two workers in a labor dispute at a Mitsubishi auto plant in the state capital of Barcelona.

Other officers in custody are from Monagas, Bolivar and Miranda states.