Ex-Venezuelan spy chief Carvajal may surrender to US authorities, sources claim
- US officials have long sought Carvajal because they believe he could provide a treasure trove of information on the alleged drug activities of Maduro
The former head of Venezuela’s military intelligence unit, Hugo Carvajal, is discussing his surrender with US authorities, three people familiar with the matter said on Saturday, after prosecutors charged him this week with drug trafficking alongside Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
Carvajal, a former general and ally of late Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, has been in hiding since a Spanish court in November approved his extradition to the United States. It was unclear when he could formally surrender to US authorities and the people declined to say.
One person familiar with the matter said US authorities were in touch with Carvajal through a non-governmental intermediary trying to convince him to turn himself in, and there was a “50/50 chance” it would succeed.
US officials have long sought Carvajal because they believe, if he is willing to cooperate, that he could provide a treasure trove of information on the alleged drug activities of Maduro and his associates.
The US State Department declined to comment. The US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and Justice Department did not immediately return requests to comment. Spain’s Justice Ministry declined to comment.