Former Venezuelan General Hugo “El Pollo” Carvajal Pleads “Not Guilty” to Narcoterrorism Charges in New York Court

47

Former Venezuelan General Hugo Armando Carvajal, known as “El Pollo,” appeared in a New York court on Thursday after being extradited from Spain. Carvajal pleaded “not guilty” to charges of narcoterrorism, drug trafficking, and arms possession brought against him by the US justice system.

Carvajal, who served as head of counterintelligence under former Presidents Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro, was a trusted ally of Chávez. He now faces the prospect of spending the rest of his life in a US prison if found guilty.

During the hearing in the southern federal court in Manhattan, the judge only read the charges and set a new date for Carvajal’s next appearance on July 25. Carvajal’s lawyer, Zachary Margulis-Ohmuna, requested a medical analysis, which the judge granted.

The former military intelligence chief was extradited to the United States on Wednesday after the Spanish National Court ordered his extradition to Interpol on Monday. He is facing charges of conspiring to introduce cocaine into the United States, as well as charges related to the use and possession of firearms.

Each of the four charges carries a maximum sentence of life in prison if Carvajal is found guilty.

In particular, the US Attorney’s Office claims to have evidence of Carvajal’s involvement in a shipment of 5.6 tons of cocaine from Venezuela to Mexico in 2006.

Carvajal was indicted by the United States government in March 2020, along with Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, Diosdado Cabello (the first vice president of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela), and other Venezuelan leaders. The US government accuses them of participating in a corrupt and violent narco-terrorist conspiracy involving the Los Soles Cartel and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

According to the US prosecutor’s office, Maduro played a significant role in the drug trafficking group, using cocaine as a weapon against the United States to enrich himself. Carvajal and his co-defendants are accused of being leaders and administrators of the Cartel de los Soles and the narco-terrorist conspiracy involving the FARC.

Carvajal had fled Venezuela in 2019 with a false passport and had been in preventive detention in Spain for over two years due to the risk of flight. His whereabouts remained unknown until his arrest in Madrid in September 2021.

Since his arrest, Carvajal had tried multiple unsuccessful measures to prevent his extradition, including seeking asylum in Spain and challenging judicial decisions against him.

This high-profile case highlights the ongoing efforts of the US justice system to target individuals involved in illegal activities, including drug trafficking and narco-terrorism. The trial will shed further light on the alleged connections between the Venezuelan government and criminal networks involved in the international drug trade.