The judge of the Southern District Court of New York, Alvin K. Hellerstein, has issued a decisive order that marks a turning point in the judicial process against Hugo Armando Carvajal Barrios, known as El Pollo Carvajal, the former chief of intelligence for the Chavista regime.
In the order regarding in limine motions signed on June 11, 2025, the magistrate accepted evidence linking Carvajal to corruption and violence related to drug trafficking as part of the case 11 Cr. 205 (AKH), which is being prosecuted in a federal court in Manhattan.
Judge Admits Key Evidence Against Carvajal
According to the ruling, the U.S. Government presented motions to admit evidence of corruption related to drug trafficking, to which the defense did not object. The judge granted this motion.
Additionally, the presentation of three incidents of violence linked to drug trafficking—two in 2007 and one in 2010—was accepted, where allegedly accomplices of the defendant concealed violent acts under Carvajal’s instructions to protect the criminal operation. These pieces of evidence were deemed relevant and admissible.
Defense Attempts to Exclude Arrests and Extraditions… Without Success
Carvajal’s defense attempted to block the introduction of evidence regarding his arrests in Argentina and Spain, as well as extradition procedures. However, the Government clarified that it would not present that evidence, leading the judge to dismiss the motion as irrelevant.
Other motions filed by both parties were considered premature, and the judge reserved the right to rule on them during the trial if relevant objections and arguments arise.
Carvajal faces multiple charges for his alleged role as a key operator of the Cartel of the Suns, a drug trafficking network linked to the FARC and high-ranking officials of the Chavista regime. Extradited to the U.S. in 2022 after years of evasion, his trial is shaping up to be one of the most significant against figures from the Venezuelan regime.
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