The trial against Hugo “El Pollo” Carvajal Barrios, the former intelligence chief of the Venezuelan regime, is scheduled to begin on June 23, 2025. He will face charges of narcoterrorism in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
There is ongoing anticipation surrounding this case, which has been controversial since its inception, due to all the incidents and circumstances that have arisen around it.
Carvajal Barrios’ defense argues that as a “former representative of a foreign government,” the accused enjoys the privilege of sovereign immunity, which, if applied, would exempt him from facing U.S. justice.
Request for Extension for Defense Submission
On February 3, 2025, Robert Feitel, representing the defense of Hugo “El Pollo” Carvajal Barrios, submitted a communication to Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York requesting a one-week extension for the defense submission in the case “U.S. v. Hugo Armando Carvajal Barrios”.
The attorneys requested a extension until February 10, 2025, citing a consultation with the prosecution that could prevent the need for a further extension of the trial date, which was scheduled for June 23, 2025, at the time of the request.
The defense informed the judge that the prosecution did not oppose the one-week extension request, provided they were granted an extension until March 12, 2025, to submit their response. The attorneys cautioned that the requested extension would not affect the established trial date.
The judge approved the request on February 4, 2025.
Prosecution’s Proposed Trial Schedule
On March 4, 2025, Nicholas S. Bradley, Kaylan E. Lasky, and Kevin T. Sullivan, assistant U.S. attorneys for acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky, presented to Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein their proposed trial schedule for Hugo Armando “El Pollo” Carvajal Barrios, set to begin on June 23, 2025.
The government outlined the deadlines agreed upon by the parties for the submission of expert testimony, pretrial motions, and other relevant documents. They also specified the timelines for expert disclosures from both the prosecution and the defense, as well as the submission of in limine motions, jury instructions, and questions for jury selection.
The prosecutors suggested dates for opposition responses to these motions, the submission of evidence, and materials under Rule 3500, culminating with a final pretrial conference.
Proposed Timeline
The proposed timeline from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York includes:
April 24, 2025: submission of prosecution expert reports.
May 23, 2025: submission of defense expert reports.
May 30, 2025: presentation of “In Limine” motions, jury instruction requests, and questions for “Voir Dire”.
June 6, 2025: filing of oppositions to the prosecution’s “In Limine” motions.
June 9, 2025: submission of documentary evidence and Rule “3500” material to be used in the trial.
June 16, 2025: final pretrial conference to address any outstanding issues and ensure both parties are ready to proceed.
Classified Motion
On March 14, 2025, prosecutors from the Southern District of New York filed a classified motion in the case of the United States v. Hugo Armando Carvajal Barrios, under the regulations of the Classified Information Procedures Act, keeping the details under wraps.
Thus, the matter of classified information continues, a key topic throughout Hugo “El Pollo” Carvajal’s judicial process involving data that the government considers essential to protect, as it could compromise national security or other sensitive interests.