HAVANA?Cuba announced Monday it was holding an alleged Colombian drug trafficker sought in his homeland and the United States and challenged the U.S. government to sign an agreement allowing the two countries to cooperate in the fight against narcotics smuggling.

The Cuban government did not say whether it would hand over Rafael Miguel Bustamente Bolanos if such an agreement was signed. But it suggested it would be more cooperative if accords existed.

For several years, President Fidel Castro and other Cuban officials have been trying to persuade Washington to sign such an agreement. They argue that this impoverished island has limited law enforcement resources and needs the technological resources and expertise of the United States in its fight against narcotics smuggling.

So far, the American government has expressed no interest in such an agreement.