Venezuela’s former spy chief pleads guilty to turning his nation into a massive drug trafficking hub, implicating the highest levels of the Maduro regime in narcoterrorism operations aimed directly at the United States.
Key Takeaways
- Hugo Carvajal, Venezuela’s former military intelligence director, has pleaded guilty to narco-terrorism and drug trafficking charges in the United States
- Carvajal admitted to working with Colombia’s FARC terrorists to traffic massive cocaine shipments into the US while providing armed protection
- He accepted millions from drug traffickers and engaged in violence including kidnappings and murder to protect his criminal enterprise
- His guilty plea exposes how high-ranking Venezuelan officials have transformed the country into a narco-state under Nicolás Maduro’s regime
A General’s Fall: From Intelligence Chief to Convicted Drug Trafficker
Hugo Armando Carvajal Barrios, once Venezuela’s most powerful military intelligence director, has admitted to the unthinkable – transforming his country’s government apparatus into a drug trafficking enterprise targeting American citizens. Carvajal’s guilty plea to conspiracy to import cocaine, narco-terrorism, and weapons charges represents a stunning admission of corruption at the highest levels of the Venezuelan government. Known as “El Pollo” (The Chicken), Carvajal’s confession confirms what many conservative analysts have long suspected: Venezuela under Nicolás Maduro has become a narco-state actively working with terrorist organizations to flood American streets with deadly drugs.
Exposing Venezuela’s Narco-State Operations
Court documents reveal Carvajal’s deep involvement with the Cartel de Los Soles (Cartel of the Suns), a drug trafficking organization embedded within Venezuela’s military and government. This cartel, named for the sun insignia worn on Venezuelan military uniforms, collaborated extensively with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a designated terrorist organization. Carvajal exploited his official position to protect massive drug shipments, including a staggering 5.6-ton cocaine shipment seized in Mexico. His confession reveals how Venezuela’s socialist government has turned from merely supporting terrorists to actively participating in narcoterrorism against the United States.
“The deeply troubling reality is that there are powerful foreign government officials who conspire to flood the United States with drugs that kill and debilitate,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.
Carvajal’s operations weren’t merely about drug trafficking – they involved extreme violence to maintain control. According to Justice Department documents, he personally ordered kidnappings and murders to protect his criminal enterprise. This level of brutality, conducted under the protection of Venezuela’s socialist government, demonstrates how leftist regimes in Latin America have evolved from merely corrupt to actively deadly. Carvajal accepted millions in bribes from drug traffickers, showing how socialism invariably leads to corruption and criminal enterprise among its leadership class.
Justice Delayed: The Long Road to Accountability
Carvajal’s path to American justice was long and winding. After fleeing Venezuela in 2019 following a falling out with Maduro, he was finally extradited from Spain to the United States in July 2023. Now facing a minimum of 20 years imprisonment with sentencing scheduled for October 29, 2025, this case exemplifies the persistence required to bring corrupt socialist officials to justice. The multi-agency investigation involved the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, and international partners – demonstrating the extensive resources needed to combat narco-states that emerge under leftist regimes.
“Hugo Armando Carvajal Barrios exploited his position as the director of Venezuela’s military intelligence and abandoned his responsibility to the people of Venezuela in order to intentionally cause harm to the United States,” said DEA Acting Administration Robert Murphy.
The Carvajal case highlights the direct connection between America’s border crisis and national security. While the Biden administration has allowed millions of illegal immigrants to flood across our southern border, it has simultaneously created perfect conditions for drug cartels and terrorist organizations to operate. Carvajal’s confession reveals how America’s enemies exploit weak borders and lenient immigration policies to target American communities with deadly drugs. As Venezuelan officials transform their nation into a launching pad for narcoterrorism, the consequences of open-border policies become increasingly deadly for American citizens.
