Hugo “El Pollo” Carvajal, an ex-military intelligence officer for the Venezuelan government, pled guilty to charges involving drug trafficking and narco-terrorism this June, after initially pleading not guilty when Spanish authorities captured him in 2021 (CBS News). Carvajal was the head of the Military Intelligence Directorate and a legislator, working closely with Chavez, but he turned on Maduro’s government in 2019 (El Pais). News outlets speculate that he has reached a deal with the U.S government for a shortened sentence in exchange for information on Maduro’s government and its narco-trafficking operation, as he pled guilty on all charges (BBC).
Carvajal is believed to have smuggled 5,600 kilograms (or 12,300 pounds) of cocaine into Mexico in 2006 (CBS News). Allegedly, he has also supplied the FARC with weapons and offered them protection to traffic in Venezuela (BBC). This marks the second time authorities arrested Carvajal, the first occurring in 2014 in Aruba, which ended when the Venezuelan government pressured for his release (El Pais).
It is important to note that Chavez expelled the DEA from Venezuela in 2005, alleging that they supported drug trafficking and spied on the Venezuelan government. This created a black hole of information for U.S intelligence and allowed organized crime to spread in Venezuela (InSight Crime). Carvajal’s narco-trafficking charges are linked to his involvement in the Cartel of the Suns (Cartel de los Soles). The Cartel of the Suns is not a structured drug cartel, but a network of drug trafficking groups that the Venezuelan government supports (The Guardian). While its beginnings can be traced to the late 90s, the Cartel found its strength during the early 2000s. As the Colombian government launched a military campaign that pushed the country’s leftist guerrilla groups, such as the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia), towards Colombia’s border with Venezuela, causing them to move their operations (InSight Crime 2).
Venezuelan military officials began accepting bribes from drug traffickers to use Venezuela’s ports and planes and eventually started trafficking the drugs themselves (Insight Crime 2). Carvajal is responsible for trafficking his own supply, in addition to collaborating with the FARC (InSight Crime 2). Walid Makled, a powerful Venezuelan drug trafficker, provided insights into the inner workings of the Venezuelan government and the Cartel of the Suns when Colombian authorities arrested him (InSight Crime). Makled has stated that he used to pay Carvajal $50,000 a week for his cooperation with his activities. Carvajal also met with FARC directly (InSight Crime). With the lack of information surrounding the Cartel of the Suns, Carvajal’s knowledge and insights could be useful for U.S Intelligence. Carvajal’s sentencing is set for October.
Sources
CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ex-venezuela-spy-chief-el-pollo-hugo-carvajal-guilty-us-drug-trafficking-charges-narco-terrorism/
El Pais: https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-06-27/former-venezuelan-intelligence-chief-pleads-guilty-to-four-charges-in-the-united-states.html
BBC: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c87312qgpzgo
The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/27/hugo-carvajal-venezuela-pleads-guilty-drug-charges
InSight Crime: https://insightcrime.org/investigations/drug-trafficking-venezuelan-regime-cartel-of-the-sun/
InSight Crime 2: https://insightcrime.org/venezuela-organized-crime-news/cartel-de-los-soles-profile/