BOGOTA Colombia ( DEA Agent Murdered During Robbery in Colombia )

BOGOTA – A U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent was murdered in Bogota during a robbery attempt that occurred as he was riding in a taxi, Colombian officials said Friday.

The DEA agent was killed Thursday night in Parque de la 93, a popular nightlife and restaurant district in the Colombian capital.

The agent was fatally stabbed as he got into a taxi after watching Game 7 of the NBA Finals on television at a restaurant.

U.S. Ambassador to Colombia Peter Michael McKinley confirmed Friday that the DEA agent died, but he did not identify the victim.

Media reports, however, identified the slain DEA agent as James Perry Watson.

“What has been established in the past few hours working hand in hand with the police and the community in Parque de la 93 is that everything points to a robbery that ended in tragedy,” the ambassador told RCN radio.

The victim was a “DEA official” who went to eat at a restaurant with friends to watch the basketball game and took a taxi when he left the establishment, McKinley said.

“Everything points to a criminal robbery that had nothing to do with the official’s job,” the ambassador said. EFE