The Clinton administration has decided to revoke the visa of Colombian President Ernesto Samper because of his alleged links to the Cali drug cartel, an administration official said Thursday.

A formal announcement was expected later in the day.The administration has long held that Samper received money from the drug cartel for his 1994 presidential campaign. Officials dismissed as a whitewash a recent decision by the Colombian Parliament to exonerate Samper of charges that he is linked to the drug traffickers.

The administration has complained for months about an alleged lack of cooperation by Colombia in combatting drug traffickers. Colombia is the source for a substantial portion of the cocaine consumed in the United states.

Colombia recently turned down a U.S. request for the extradition of four leading figures in the Cali drug cartel, three of whom are in jail.

On Tuesday, Colombian authorities moved against two of the four, Gilberto and Miguel Rodriguez Orejuela, seizing more than 110 properties belonging to them. The Rodriguez Orejuela brothers have been imprisoned since last year.

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The administration has pursued a policy of trying to isolate Samper while trying to maintain cooperative relations with Colombian law enforcement officers committed to cracking down on drugs.

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