EspañolTwo high-up officials in Venezuela’s government were accused of drug trafficking this week.
Former Minister of Justice and current Commander of the National Gaurd Nestor Reverol, as well as former Assistant Director of the National Anti-drug Office Edylberto Molina were both accused, Reuters reported Monday, August 1.
The hearing, which took place in a federal court in Brooklyn, New York, saw the prosecution claim both senior officials to the Chavez administration received payment from drug traffickers in exchange for helping distribute cocaine that ultimately made its way into the United States.
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Between January 2008 and December 2010, Reverol and Molina were paid for alerting smugglers of possible drug raids, a Justice Department spokesperson said in a statement.
“In exchange for those payments they warned traffickers of future raids or locations where law enforcement officials in Venezuela were carrying out counter-narcotics activities, to change the location where they kept the drugs or alter their transportation routes,” the press release said.
Reuters had released information in December 2015 regarding US prosecutors’ search for more information about the drug trafficking network in Venezuela, announcing the indictment against Reverol and Molina. The Justice Department made the information public on Monday.
Members of the government of Venezuela denounced the announcement, with one member of the National Guard telling Reuters that “we reject the fascist right campaign against our General Commander.”
EEUU anuncia acusación contra ex líderes de la agencia antinarcóticos de #Venezuela por narcotráfico
— Reuters Latam (@ReutersLatam) August 1, 2016
US announces indictment against former leaders of the Venezuelan narcotics agency for drug trafficking
EEUU acusa a Néstor Reverol, jefe de Guardia Nacional Venezuela y ex jefe de agencia antinarcóticos, y a Edylberto Molina,subjefe de agencia
— Reuters Latam (@ReutersLatam) August 1, 2016
US accuses Nestor Reverol, Head of the Venezuelan National Guard and former head of the Anti-Narcotics Agency, and Edylberto Molina, Deputy Chief of the agency
Reverol becomes the highest-ranking officer to be officially accused by the United States for drug trafficking.
Nestor Reverol was Minister of Interior and Justice of Venezuela between October 2012 and April 2013. He was replaced by the current minister, Miguel Rodriguez Torres.
In October 2014, he was appointed General Commander of the National Guard, one of the four governing bodies that make up the National Armed Forces.
Source: Sumarium, Efecto Cocuyo