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Venezuelan General ‘El Pollo’ Pleads Guilty to Narco-Terrorism Charges
A former Venezuelan general has pleaded guilty to conspiring to import cocaine into the United States, engaging in narco-terrorism, and related weapons offenses. Hugo Armando Carvajal Barrios, 64, also known as ‘El Pollo,’ made the plea in federal court in New York, admitting to collaborating with a deadly terrorist group to support their combined drug trafficking and terrorism efforts.
According to court documents, Carvajal Barrios was the director of Venezuela’s military intelligence agency and the leader of the Cartel de Los Soles, a group that abused the Venezuelan people and corrupted the country’s institutions to facilitate the importation of tons of cocaine into the United States. The group sought to ‘flood’ the US with cocaine and inflict its harmful and addictive effects on users.
As part of the conspiracy, Carvajal Barrios and other Cartel de Los Soles members partnered with leaders of the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC), a violent terrorist organization based in Colombia. The group coordinated the transportation of massive cocaine shipments, including a 5.6-ton shipment in 2006.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said the guilty plea demonstrates the commitment to holding accountable foreign officials who abuse their power to poison American citizens. DEA Acting Administrator Robert Murphy praised the law enforcement efforts in pursuing Carvajal Barrios and vowed to relentlessly pursue those who use violence, drugs, and intimidation to compromise US safety and security.
Carvajal Barrios faces a potential life sentence for his crimes, which include conspiracy to import cocaine, narco-terrorism, and related weapons offenses. His sentencing is scheduled for a later date.
The case is a stark reminder of the depth of corruption within Venezuelan institutions and the willingness of foreign officials to engage in destructive activities that harm American communities.
The investigation was led by the US Drug Enforcement Administration’s Special Operations Division, with the assistance of law enforcement partners in Venezuela and Colombia.
Carvajal Barrios’s guilty plea is a major victory for US law enforcement and a blow to the Cartel de Los Soles and their terrorist allies. The case serves as a warning to those who would seek to exploit their positions of power to engage in narco-terrorism and other crimes that put American lives at risk.
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Public Corruption|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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