Venezuela has become a key route for smuggling of Colombian cocaine. U.S. officials have often accused Venezuelan authorities of not doing enough to curb drug trafficking, and say that most of the drug flights ferrying cocaine northward from South America leave from Venezuela.
Barrera's is one of several alleged Colombian drug kingpins arrested in Venezuela recently.
Another arrest came in Argentina last month, when reputed Colombian drug trafficker Henry de Jesus Lopez was captured outside a Buenos Aires restaurant. Lopez ran the "Urabenos" gang based in northern Colombia, and Leon said Colombian authorities are now after another leader of that group, Dairo Antonio Usuga, known as "Otoniel."
"I want to tell Otoniel to turn himself over to Colombian justice," Leon said, adding that if he doesn't, "we'll go get him wherever he is."
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Associated Press writer Jorge Rueda in Caracas, Venezuela, contributed to this report.
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