Former head of Venezuelan intelligence pleads guilty in US drug trafficking case
Kyiv • UNN
Former head of Venezuelan military intelligence, Hugo Armando Carvajal Barrios, pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and illegal possession of weapons in the United States. According to the investigation, he organized cocaine supplies, acting within the framework of the Venezuelan state structure.
Former head of Venezuelan military intelligence, Hugo Armando Carvajal Barrios, pleaded guilty in a Manhattan federal court in the USA to drug trafficking and illegal possession of weapons charges. This was reported by The Guardian, writes UNN.
Details
Carvajal, known by the nickname "El Pollo" (The Chicken), held a leadership position in Venezuela's intelligence during the presidencies of Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro. According to the investigation, he participated in organizing cocaine shipments to the USA and led a drug cartel that operated within the Venezuelan state structure.
In 2023, he was extradited to the United States from Spain. According to the prosecution, Carvajal could become a valuable witness and provide information about the Maduro regime, drug gang activities, and Venezuela's ties to Iran. He faces a life sentence.
"Hugo Armando Carvajal Barrios was once one of the most powerful people in Venezuela. For years, he and other officials... used cocaine as a weapon, flooding New York and other American cities with this poison," said US Attorney Jay Clayton.