US Director of National Drug Control Policy John Walters Tuesday urged several European nations to use their influence with President Hugo Chávez to stop what he branded as the growing cocaine traffic through Venezuelan seaports and airports.

Walters, at the headquarters of the European Union in Brussels, told AP he has reports on cocaine traffic through Venezuelan seaports and airports.

"I know that some European nations have a closer cooperation with the Venezuelan Government, and I hope we can capitalize on that to try to stop this," Walters said.

Further, he warned that cocaine shipments entering Europe from South America, particularly from Venezuela, mostly via Africa, are soaring.

"There is a growing problem with cocaine arriving in Europe from South America," the US Drug Czar told reporters in Brussels.

"Some five to 10 years ago, we did not see airplanes or ships arriving in Africa carrying cocaine bound for Europe, but that is happening now," Walters said, as quoted by AFP.

According to Walters, in the past, cocaine came from Colombia and Peru, with Europe as the major destination. Europe has become the world's second largest market for illegal drug, after the United States, according to the United Nations.

"However, what we have witnessed now is air shipments from Venezuela for the first time departing from known landing strips, rather than clandestine landing strips, and bound for the Caribbean," particularly Haiti and Dominican Republic.

"But there are sea shipments too, and they are apparently coming from Venezuela more regularly."

Walters said the United States has not managed to make President Chávez' Government to cooperate more to fight drug traffic, but said he hoped Washington allies in the EU to make new headway in this direction.