Venezuelan Ex-Spy Chief ‘El Pollo’ Pleads Guilty to Narco-Terrorism, Unlocking Potential Intelligence

In a significant development for international law enforcement, Hugo Carvajal, the former head of Venezuela’s military intelligence and a close confidant of the late President Hugo Chávez, pleaded guilty Wednesday to a litany of drug trafficking charges, including narco-terrorism. Known by his alias ‘El Pollo’ (The Chicken), Carvajal’s plea comes just a week before his highly anticipated trial was set to begin in a Manhattan federal court.

Carvajal, 65, admitted guilt to all four criminal counts against him. The indictment accused him of leading the infamous ‘Cartel of the Suns,’ a clandestine network of senior Venezuelan military officers alleged to have conspired with Colombian leftist guerrillas to inundate the United States with cocaine. Prosecutors indicate that federal sentencing guidelines could see Carvajal facing a mandatory minimum of 50 years in prison.

His journey to this guilty plea has been protracted, marked by over a decade on the run from U.S. authorities, including a failed arrest attempt in Aruba while serving as a diplomat under Nicolás Maduro’s government. Carvajal was ultimately extradited from Spain in 2023, having been captured in a Madrid apartment in 2021 after defying a Spanish extradition order.

While Carvajal’s plea was made without any promise of leniency, speculation abounds that it could be a strategic move to earn credit for future cooperation. Despite being out of power for years, his unique insights into Venezuela’s inner workings are considered potentially invaluable. Sources suggest he could provide critical intelligence on the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua’s expansion into the U.S., as well as the alleged spying activities of governments allied with Maduro, including Cuba, Russia, China, and Iran.

There’s also a possibility Carvajal aims to capture the attention of former President Trump, potentially offering information related to the voting technology company Smartmatic. A former deputy of Carvajal’s held a key role in Venezuela’s electoral authority during Smartmatic’s early days. Robert Feitel, Carvajal’s attorney, expressed disappointment that prosecutors never extended a plea offer or sought to meet with his client, calling it an ‘enormous mistake’ given the ‘extraordinarily important’ information his client possesses for U.S. national security.

U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton underscored the Justice Department’s commitment to holding foreign officials accountable for abusing their power. This guilty plea marks a significant victory in the ongoing fight against international drug trafficking and terrorism, potentially opening doors to deeper understanding of complex geopolitical criminal networks.

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