Former Venezuelan intelligence chief Hugo Carvajal faces potential life imprisonment after confessing to turning his country’s military power into a cocaine trafficking pipeline that flooded American streets with drugs while supporting terrorist organizations.
Key Takeaways
- Hugo Carvajal, Venezuela’s former military intelligence director, has pleaded guilty to narco-terrorism, weapons offenses, and conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States
- Carvajal exploited his official position to facilitate massive drug shipments, including a 5.6-ton cocaine load seized in Mexico
- He collaborated with the FARC terrorist organization and the Cartel de Los Soles while accepting millions from drug traffickers
- The high-profile case involved extensive international cooperation, culminating in Carvajal’s 2023 extradition from Spain to face U.S. justice
- His sentencing is scheduled for October 29, 2025, with potential penalties ranging from a minimum of 20 years to life imprisonment
State-Sponsored Narcoterrorism Exposed
In a dramatic conclusion to a years-long pursuit, Hugo Armando Carvajal Barrios, once one of Venezuela’s most powerful military leaders, has admitted to using his position to facilitate massive cocaine shipments into the United States. The former director of Venezuela’s military intelligence pleaded guilty to narco-terrorism, weapons offenses, and drug trafficking conspiracy charges in a New York federal court. This confession represents a significant victory in America’s fight against state-sponsored drug trafficking networks that have contributed to the ongoing addiction crisis plaguing communities across our nation.
“The deeply troubling reality is that there are powerful foreign government officials who conspire to flood the United States with drugs that kill and debilitate,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.
Court documents reveal Carvajal Barrios leveraged his influential position within Venezuela’s socialist government to coordinate with both the Cartel de Los Soles (Cartel of the Suns) and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a designated terrorist organization. His criminal enterprise involved providing weapons, military-grade protection, and intelligence to drug traffickers while facilitating the movement of multi-ton cocaine shipments destined for American streets. One seized shipment coordinated by Carvajal contained a staggering 5.6 tons of cocaine intercepted in Mexico.
A Web of Violence and Corruption
Carvajal’s criminal operations extended far beyond merely facilitating drug shipments. Federal prosecutors presented evidence that he personally accepted millions of dollars in bribes from various drug trafficking organizations while employing extreme violence to protect his criminal network. According to court documents, these violent acts included orchestrating kidnappings and murders to eliminate threats to his operation. His guilty plea encompasses four serious federal charges that could result in sentences ranging from a mandatory minimum of 20 years to potential life imprisonment.
“Hugo Armando Carvajal Barrios exploited his position as the director of Venezuela’s military intelligence and abandoned his responsibility to the people of Venezuela in order to intentionally cause harm to the United States,” said DEA Acting Administration Robert Murphy.
The case underscores the troubling reality of how socialist regimes like Venezuela’s have become deeply entwined with international drug trafficking operations. While claiming to champion the needs of their citizens, these corrupt officials have instead diverted state resources to criminal enterprises that enrich themselves while devastating communities both within their borders and throughout the United States. Carvajal’s role illuminates how the Venezuelan military infrastructure itself became weaponized as part of a narco-state targeting America.
International Pursuit of Justice
Carvajal’s case represents years of determined pursuit by American law enforcement and international partners. After fleeing Venezuela during political upheaval, Carvajal was eventually captured in Spain and extradited to the United States in July 2023 after exhausting numerous legal challenges. His prosecution forms part of a broader Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation designed to dismantle major drug trafficking organizations, particularly those with connections to terrorist groups that threaten American national security interests.
The prosecution team drew from resources across multiple federal agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, and the FBI, highlighting the whole-of-government approach required to combat transnational criminal organizations operating with state protection. Carvajal’s sentencing has been scheduled for October 29, 2025, providing time for prosecutors to potentially leverage his cooperation in identifying additional network participants and drug trafficking routes still in operation throughout the region.
This case demonstrates President Trump’s continued commitment to securing America’s borders against the dual threats of illegal drugs and terrorism. By successfully prosecuting high-level foreign officials who enable these criminal enterprises, the administration sends a clear message that no position of power will shield those who target American communities with deadly narcotics. The Carvajal conviction represents another step toward dismantling the criminal networks that exploit open borders and weak enforcement to poison American neighborhoods.
