**Ex-Venezuelan General Admits Guilt in Drug Trafficking Case**
Hugo Carvajal, the former head of military intelligence in Venezuela, was extradited to the United States from Spain in 2023. He entered a guilty plea regarding charges of narcoterrorism and drug trafficking just days before his trial was scheduled to commence in a federal court.
Carvajal, who served as a close advisor to the late President Hugo Chavez, admitted guilt to four counts, including conspiracy related to narcoterrorism and conspiracy to import cocaine along with weapons violations.
The indictment alleged that the retired major general led a cartel formed by high-ranking Venezuelan military officials aimed at overwhelming the US market with cocaine, in collaboration with leftist guerrilla groups from Colombia.
At 65 years old, he could face a life sentence upon conviction.
Sentencing for Carvajal is expected in October.
**Captured After Over a Decade on the Run**
Known by the nickname “El Pollo,” which translates to “the chicken” in Spanish, Carvajal advised Chavez for over ten years and was regarded as one of the most influential figures during Chavez’s administration.
He later distanced himself from current President Nicolas Maduro, Chavez’s designated successor, opting instead to support the US-backed opposition.
In 2023, after evading US authorities for more than ten years, Carvajal was apprehended and extradited from Spain.
Jay Clayton, acting US attorney in Manhattan, remarked on Wednesday that “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.”
