Former Venezuelan spy chief says Maduro runs 'narco-terrorist organisation'

Hugo Armando Carvajal Barrios, a former Venezuelan military intelligence chief known as "El Pollo" Carvajal, has written to former US President Donald Trump from federal prison, accusing Nicolás Maduro's government of operating as a "narco-terrorist organisation".

In the letter, Carvajal claimed that during his years leading Venezuela's military counterintelligence, he witnessed high-ranking officials coordinating drug trafficking operations and establishing alliances with armed groups.

According to the text published by The Dallas Express, the former intelligence director alleged collaboration with the FARC, the ELN, Cuban intelligence agents and members of Hezbollah, whom he said played various roles in illicit activities inside and outside Venezuela.

Carvajal argued these alliances enabled the consolidation of cocaine routes to the United States and the financing of political and intelligence operations.

He also accused the regime of promoting espionage and disinformation activities, and specifically cited the company Smartmatic, claiming electronic voting systems had been supervised or influenced by the Chavista government for electoral manipulation.

'Criminal structures' in the apparatus

In his letter, the former intelligence chief expressed willingness to cooperate with US authorities. He claimed to have detailed information on what he described as "criminal structures" linked to the Venezuelan state apparatus, and offered to provide additional documentation and testimony.

According to The Dallas Express, the letter seeks to alert the US administration to what Carvajal identified as a "narco-terrorist war" directed from Venezuela.

The release of the document coincides with recent statements by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has intensified pressure on Maduro's government.

In remarks reported by US media, Rubio said the Venezuelan leader has repeatedly broken commitments to the United States over the past decade, including those related to holding free elections under international supervision.

Rubio maintained the Bolivarian regime acts as a structure linked to drug trafficking and warned Washington cannot rely on promises Maduro makes.

He also insisted on the need for a stronger US response to what he described as a pattern of non-compliance by the Venezuelan government.

Although Rubio's statements did not directly reference Carvajal's letter, they reinforce a climate of growing international pressure on Caracas.

Who is 'El Pollo'?

Carvajal served as director of Venezuela's Military Counterintelligence Directorate (DGCIM) from 2004 to 2011 under President Hugo Chávez. He later held positions including deputy to the National Assembly.

The United States indicted him in 2011 on drug trafficking charges, accusing him of coordinating cocaine shipments from Venezuela to Mexico for distribution in the US.

US prosecutors alleged he used his position to protect drug traffickers and facilitate their operations.

For years, Carvajal was considered a key figure in Venezuela's security apparatus and was seen as loyal to the Chavista government. However, he broke with the regime in 2019, publicly supporting opposition leader Juan Guaidó's claim to the presidency.

Spanish authorities arrested Carvajal in Madrid in 2019 based on the US extradition request, but he went into hiding for nearly two years after a court initially blocked his extradition. He was recaptured in 2021 and finally extradited to the United States in 2023.

He faces charges including conspiracy to import cocaine and conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organisation, specifically the FARC.

Operations against 'narco-traffickers' continue

In recent weeks, the Trump administration has intensified what it describes as operations against "Venezuelan narco-traffickers", launching multiple naval attacks in the Caribbean and Pacific against vessels attributed to drug trafficking from Venezuela.

The military campaign includes strikes on suspect vessels and the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford, the US Navy's largest aircraft carrier, as part of operations aimed at dismantling alleged drug trafficking networks Washington says are linked to the Venezuelan regime.

Relations between Washington and Caracas have been hostile for years. The United States imposed sanctions on Venezuela's oil sector in 2019 and does not recognise Maduro's 2018 re-election, which was widely condemned as fraudulent.

The US has indicted multiple Venezuelan officials on drug trafficking and corruption charges, including Maduro himself, who faces narco-terrorism charges filed in 2020. Washington has offered a $15 million reward for information leading to his arrest.

Venezuela's disputed July 2024 presidential election, in which Maduro claimed victory despite opposition allegations of fraud and international calls for transparency, has further strained relations.