 |
| Retired Venezuelan General Cliver Alcala Cordones claims he was working with the CIA against President Maduro to oust him. |
A retired Venezuelan general facing US drug charges said his involvement in a plot to oust President Nicolas Maduro showed he was innocent, and urged US prosecutors to disclose information linking him to the planned rebellion.
US prosecutors say Cliver Alcala and other senior Venezuelan government officials conspired with the FARC Colombian rebel group to ship cocaine to the United States. Alcala pleaded not guilty after surrendering to US agents in Colombia in 2020.
Venezuela's information ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The US Central Intelligence Agency and a spokesperson for federal prosecutors in Manhattan declined to comment. Alcala retired from Venezuela's military in 2013 and went on to become a vocal critic of Maduro, a socialist accused by Washington of corruption, human rights violations, and election rigging.
"Even if he was a member of the charged conspiracy, General Alcala Cordones withdrew as a result of his open opposition to the Maduro government, clearly communicating his break from membership in the conspiracy," Alcala's lawyers said in court papers made public on Tuesday in Manhattan federal court.
They added that Alcala repeatedly met with the CIA between 2017 and 2020 and "discussed the planned revolt with them." His lawyers said evidence of his participation in that coup plot against Maduro, who was charged with drug offenses alongside Alcala, was "exculpatory."
After Colombian authorities seized an arms shipment, the retired general stated publicly that the weapons were part of an operation to “liberate” Venezuela. He added that the operation was coordinated with self-proclaimed “Interim President” Juan Guaido and “US advisors.”
The retired general has previously plotted military incursions into Venezuela. According to Bloomberg, in the context of the Venezuelan opposition’s effort to force “humanitarian aid” across the Colombian border on February 23, there was a plan for Alcala to lead an armed force of 200 men into Venezuela. Bogota reportedly vetoed the plan out of fear of spiraling violence.
 |
Alcala later handed himself over to Colombian intelligence officers and was reportedly flown on to New York, on Friday afternoon, aboard a DEA plane. He pledged to cooperate with US investigations and defend “the truth.”
Narco Charges Against Maduro
In 2020, US Attorney General William Barr unsealed an indictment against Maduro, accusing the Venezuelan leader of conspiring with Colombia’s FARC rebels to "to flood the United States with cocaine” as far back as 1999 when he was first elected to congress.
Fourteen current and former officials were also charged in parallel indictments, including National Assembly President Diosdado Cabello, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez, Supreme Court President Maikel Moreno, Industry Minister Tareck El Aissami, former intelligence chief Hugo Carvajal, and retired Major General Cliver Alcala.
The 2020 indictment came as the Trump administration aimed to force Maduro from office. Maduro and Cabello have denied accusations of drug trafficking, and argue Washington is seeking to overthrow their government to control the OPEC nation's oil.
Previously, the judge rejected a bid by the retired Venezuelan general to dismiss drug trafficking charges against him on the basis of foreign sovereign immunity, saying the doctrine does not apply to a "rogue state." Alcala's attorney, Cesar de Castro, said in Manhattan federal court that because Alcala was a uniformed military officer at the time of the alleged conspiracy, any action he took would have been in his official capacity and thus could not be prosecuted in the United States.
"Sovereign immunity does not affect a rogue state or rogue officials," Hellerstein said. "We're dealing with criminal conduct at the highest levels of government."
Prosecutors said that Alcala in 2008 held a meeting with Diosdado Cabello, now a Venezuelan lawmaker from President Nicolas Maduro's socialist party, and agreed to coordinate drug trafficking with the FARC. Cabello and Maduro were also charged but remain in Venezuela.
Maduro's nephews-in-law were recently released from a US prison on drug trafficking charges in a prisoner exchange for several oil executives imprisoned in Venezuela.
He partisapated his ass is also grassed no excuses.
ReplyDeleteThe yankees are apoplectic that first Chavez and then maduro denied them the oil and natural resources of Venezuela--especially now that the days of cheap oil and food are gone! The cheap easy oil is in rapid decline while all that's left is the expensive dregs: fracking, tar sands and deep sea drilling! Saudi Arabia's Ghawar, the crown jewel of oil reservoirs, which once pumped over 8 million barrels a day is now only pumping 3 million barrels a day and only with copious amounts of seawater being pumped into it! Rough times for the West when their wealthy, easy life from cheap oil and cheap food is coming to a screeching halt!
ReplyDeleteIove pizza.
Delete9:20 💯 you nailed it
Delete9:20
DeleteChavez NEVER denied selling oil to the USA, he loved the money he received. Maduro, on the other hand, is a complete buffoon. He could stop selling oil yet his country is a disaster, how is that a win?
Hai baby nuts
Delete@4:06 Denied as in plunder the oil and natural resources!
Delete@5:42 hi worm. Everyone knows worms have no backbone or brain! but a small sloped head!
Delete8:23 Way to contradict yourself.
Delete9:20 Venezuela is Blockaded by the US, like Cuba, but Cuba has no Oil, Maduro does not sell much oil so there is not much to plunder.
DeleteThe Sun spreads more energy all over earth in one day than all the oil in a year, that why SOLAR has so many corporate enemies trying to go Solar and buying politicians to get on the way.
Funny how Mexican narco government is untouched by the US of A
ReplyDeleteIf they really wanted to stop the corruption and drugs and all that nonsense the gringos cry about, they would go after the 🇲🇽 leaders.
But of course those sell outs are doing a wonderful job so why change ANYTHING...
Dont see a valid reason to be "touched" by the US. Go after US leaders distributing drugs all over the country. Change your facts.
Delete4:25 why do they go catch people like Noriega or have Maduro on their list as most wanted for tracking drugs?
DeleteWhy not the known Mexican narcopresidents ? FACTS
11:23 What does Noriega have to do with Mexico?, NOTHING. And yes, two previous NarcoPresidents are under investigation. EPN is in Spain, and Public Security Secretary is jailed.
Delete11:08 investigation hahaha
DeleteYour silly ass thinks something will come of that. Hahaha
Noriega was made as an example, its called comparing the same situation but in different countries.
Why was general cienfuegos released? Well.., besides narco president AMLO defending him..
Because they are in the same crew, they are to be untouched..
Silly rabbit 🐰
The USA will soon return to playing nice with Venezuelan now that the Saudi are cutting their oil output. The USA will screw any whore to get what they want.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know Maduro is a whore, you need to get some eyeglasses, Maduro is a he.
DeleteMen are wholesale too not just women tonto
DeleteWhy did he turned himself in if he was plotting against his old boss Maduro?
ReplyDelete