Former Venezuelan Spy Chief Pleads Guilty Narco-Terrorism US

Hugo Carvajal, Venezuela's former head of military intelligence and longtime close associate of the late President Hugo Chávez, has pleaded guilty to multiple drug trafficking and narco-terrorism charges in a U.S. federal court in Manhattan. Carvajal admitted involvement in the Cartel de los Soles, a drug-smuggling organization composed of high-ranking Venezuelan military officials, which collaborated with Colombian guerrilla groups to flood American cities with cocaine. After evading capture for years, including a failed disguise in Madrid, Carvajal was extradited to the U.S. and now faces a potential life sentence. His guilty plea, after initially denying all charges for two years, has raised speculation that he may have struck a deal to reduce his sentence by providing valuable information about Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his government's alleged role in drug trafficking. The U.S. previously charged Maduro with narco-terrorism and imposed sanctions on him and his inner circle, who Maduro claims are targets of political destabilization efforts by the U.S. Carvajal's cooperation could yield critical insights into the Maduro regime amid ongoing tensions between Venezuela and the United States.