By Hugo Carvajal - Wikipedia
Hugo Carvajal, Venezuela’s former military intelligence chief and once a powerful figure in the inner circle of late President Hugo Chávez, has pleaded guilty in the United States to charges of drug trafficking and narco-terrorism.
Known by the nickname “El Pollo” or “The Chicken,” the 65-year-old Carvajal admitted his role in a sprawling drug-smuggling network that allegedly involved high-ranking members of the Venezuelan military. The charges stem from accusations that Carvajal played a central role in using Venezuela as a corridor for narcotics en route to the United States.
His guilty plea marks a dramatic fall from grace for the former spymaster, who was once one of Venezuela’s most feared and influential security officials. Carvajal’s downfall included a humiliating arrest in Spain, where he was discovered hiding in a Madrid apartment after years on the run—despite wearing a fake moustache and wig in an attempt to avoid detection.
According to the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, where Carvajal was scheduled to stand trial, the former general was a key figure in the so-called Cartel de los Soles (Cartel of the Suns). The cartel derives its name from the sun insignias worn by senior officers in Venezuela’s armed forces.
“For years, he and other officials in the Cartel de los Soles used cocaine as a weapon—flooding New York and other American cities with poison,” the office said in a statement.
US prosecutors also revealed that Carvajal collaborated with Colombia’s Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC), a left-wing rebel group. He allegedly provided them with weapons and protection for their cocaine shipments traveling through Venezuela and destined for the US. In return, Carvajal is believed to have received millions of dollars.
US Attorney Jay Clayton noted the scale of Carvajal’s involvement, calling him a major player in transnational drug trafficking operations designed to destabilise and profit from narcotics sales in the United States.
Carvajal’s plea comes two years after he initially denied all charges, sparking speculation that he may have agreed to cooperate with US authorities in exchange for a reduced sentence. Observers believe Carvajal could now provide critical information about Venezuela’s current leadership, including President Nicolás Maduro.
The US indicted Maduro on narco-terrorism charges five years ago and has since placed economic sanctions on him and members of his regime. Washington accuses Maduro of transforming Venezuela into a criminal state, with drug trafficking as a central pillar.
Carvajal, once considered a trusted Chávez loyalist, fell out with Maduro in 2017 during a wave of anti-government protests. He publicly supported the demonstrators, and by 2019 had openly urged the military to back opposition leader Juan Guaidó’s bid to oust Maduro from power. When the armed forces remained aligned with Maduro, Carvajal fled Venezuela for Spain.
After years evading authorities, Carvajal was eventually located in a Madrid apartment and extradited to the United States. His guilty plea this week could mark a turning point in ongoing US efforts to prosecute Venezuelan officials for alleged drug trafficking and corruption, and may provide prosecutors with valuable evidence regarding the inner workings of the Maduro regime.
