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The recent narco-terrorism trial of Hugo Carvajal, a former Venezuelan spy chief known as “The Chicken,” has shed light on the drug trafficking operations of Venezuela’s Bolivarian regime. It is alleged that the regime sought to flood the US with cocaine. Carvajal, who was extradited from Spain, entered a not-guilty plea in a Manhattan court last week. US prosecutors claim that he was part of a state-linked trafficking ring called “the Cartel of the Suns” and was involved in drug trafficking and firearms possession. If convicted, Carvajal could face a minimum sentence of 30 years in prison. Carvajal, once a close confidant of late president Hugo Chávez, has denied the charges.
The US has long sought to expose the connections between drug trafficking and the Bolivarian revolution, which began in 1999 under Chávez and continued under Nicolás Maduro. The revolution led Venezuela from a market-friendly economy to a dysfunctional kleptocracy, marked by economic collapse and widespread corruption. US law enforcement officials claim that officials within the regime used the drug trade to enrich themselves. Maduro himself has been indicted by the US and accused of leading the Cartel of the Suns after Chávez’s death.
Carvajal’s trial presents an opportunity for him to provide information on Venezuelan officials involved in the drug trade in exchange for a more lenient sentence. Former law enforcement officials suggest that Carvajal may have knowledge of secret bank accounts and could expose the entire operation. Carvajal was trusted by Chávez to run a network of spies and eventually became the head of military intelligence. However, he fell out of favor with Maduro and supported Juan Guaidó’s interim presidency. Carvajal was arrested in Madrid in 2019 and was later extradited to the US.
While Carvajal may have valuable information about past officials, analysts believe he may not be of much use in revealing current officials involved in the drug trade. He has been out of favor for too long to have current, relevant information. Nevertheless, Carvajal’s trial puts a spotlight on the Venezuelan criminal state and its reliance on drug money.
This trial poses a challenge for the Biden administration, which is trying to negotiate with Maduro for free and fair elections. The recent banning of an opposition candidate has stalled these efforts. Despite the diplomatic complications, Carvajal’s trial brings attention to the Bolivarian revolution’s connection to drug trafficking.
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