Former Venezuelan General Hugo “El Pollo” Carvajal’s Trial Postponed Until November 1 in US Extradition Case

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Former Venezuelan Intelligence Chief’s Trial Postponed Until November 1 in US Court

In a recent development, the trial against Hugo “El Pollo” Carvajal, the former head of Venezuelan intelligence, has been postponed until November 1, according to Judge Alvin Hallerstein of the Southern District Court of New York. The decision comes after the Prosecutor’s Office requested three additional months to present all the evidence in its possession. Carvajal’s defense team also agreed to the new date.

Carvajal, who was extradited to the United States from Spain last week, is facing charges of introducing cocaine into the country. He appeared in court dressed in dark blue pants and a shirt, maintaining a calm attitude throughout the session, which lasted just over ten minutes. The former general listened to the proceedings with the help of translation headphones.

During his initial appearance in a New York court last Thursday, Carvajal pleaded “not guilty” to the charges of narcoterrorism, drug trafficking, and weapons possession, levied against him by the US justice system. If found guilty, any of these charges could carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.

The US Attorney’s Office claims to have evidence of Carvajal’s involvement in a cocaine shipment of 5.6 tons from Venezuela to Mexico back in 2006. The former intelligence chief is also accused of participating in a corrupt and violent narco-terrorist conspiracy, allegedly led by Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, Diosdado Cabello (the first vice president of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela), and other Venezuelan leaders. The conspiracy allegedly involved the Los Soles Cartel and the Colombian guerrillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

According to the US government, Maduro used drugs as a weapon against the United States and personally benefited from the drug trafficking group. Carvajal and his co-defendants are accused of serving as “leaders and administrators” of the Cartel de los Soles and collaborating in the narco-terrorism conspiracy with FARC.

Carvajal, who fled Venezuela with a false passport in 2019, had been in preventive detention in Spain for more than two years due to a high risk of flight. His whereabouts remained unknown for nearly two years until his arrest in 2021. Despite his efforts to prevent extradition, including unsuccessful requests for asylum in Spain, Carvajal lost the battle and was ultimately handed over to the United States.

The trial, now scheduled for November 1, will be a crucial step in deciding Carvajal’s fate. As the former head of Venezuelan intelligence, his case carries significant implications, shedding light on alleged connections between drug trafficking, terrorism, and high-ranking officials in the Venezuelan government.

(With information from EFE)

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