The president of the National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez, called on the United States on Wednesday to extradite the Venezuelan military and politician Hugo Carvajal, whom he called a “criminal” and who is accused of drug trafficking in the North American country.
“I hope that the United States, Spain did not do it and it should have done it, in adherence to the extradition treaties that Venezuela has with different countries of the world, hand over to Venezuela a criminal such as Hugo Carvajal,” Rodríguez said at a press conference from the headquarters of the Federal Legislative Palace, in Caracas.
The also deputy for the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) recalled that Carvajal, alias “El Pollo”, “is being required by the Venezuelan justice to answer for various crimes.”
Spain today handed over Carvajal to the United States, which is requesting it for alleged drug trafficking.
In 2021, the Venezuelan Public Ministry requested Carvajal’s extradition from Spain and assured that he had an arrest warrant since 2019, for crimes of treason and conspiracy.
The fugitive from Venezuelan justice served as head of Venezuela’s intelligence services, and was also a congressman and diplomat.
Carvajal is in New York
Former general Hugo “El Pollo” Carvajal arrived in New York on Wednesday, extradited from Spain, and will appear for the first time on Thursday before a judge in federal court to hear the charges against him, which could lead him to spend the rest of his days in a prison in the United States, judicial sources told EFE.
Carvajal, whose extradition was ordered Monday by the Spanish National Court to Interpol, faces charges of conspiring to introduce cocaine into the United States. He is also charged with two other crimes for the use and possession of firearms in connection with the two previous charges.
Any of the four charges could carry a maximum sentence of life in prison if found guilty.
According to the federal prosecutor’s office for the southern district in Manhattan, where the Venezuelan counterintelligence chief will be tried during the presidency of Hugo Chávez, a time has not yet been set for his hearing.
Specifically, the US Attorney’s Office claims to have evidence of Carvajal’s participation in sending a shipment of 5.6 tons of cocaine that was transported from Venezuela to Mexico in 2006.
