Hugo Carvajal, Venezuela’s former military intelligence chief and a longtime adviser to late President Hugo Chávez, pleaded guilty Wednesday to narcoterrorism and cocaine trafficking charges in U.S. federal court, the Department of Justice announced.
Carvajal, 65, admitted to four counts, including conspiracy to import cocaine and weapons offenses. He faces up to life in prison, with sentencing set for October.
The indictment alleges that Carvajal helped lead the Cartel de los Soles, a trafficking network composed of Venezuelan military officials. It states that the cartel worked with left-wing rebels from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia to protect drug shipments and trade weapons for cocaine bound for the U.S.
“For years, he and other officials used cocaine as a weapon — flooding New York and other cities with poison,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office stated. “In doing so, Carvajal Barrios partnered with a deadly terrorist group to support their combined drug trafficking and terrorism efforts, wreaking havoc on communities throughout the United States and elsewhere.”
Nicknamed “El Pollo,” Spanish for “the chicken,” Carvajal served as an advisor to Chávez for over a decade and was regarded as one of the most powerful figures during the socialist leader’s rule.
He later broke with current President Nicolás Maduro, Chávez’s chosen successor, to support the US-backed political opposition.
In 2023, Carvajal was extradited from Spain after being on the run from U.S. law enforcement for more than 10 years.
