U.S. Federal prosecutors will charge the Head of Venezuela’s National Guard with cocaine trafficking, in what would be the most high profile case levelled by U.S. authorities against Venezuelan officials ever.
Nestor Reverol was formerly in charge of Venezuela’s National Drug Office which is meant to prevent drug trafficking. In addition to charging Reverol, federal prosecutors are indicting Edylberto Molina, who is the former deputy-head of Venezuela’s National Drug Office, reported Reuters. Molina is currently living in Germany where he is the military attache at the Venezuelan Embassy.
Venezuela shares a border with Colombia, the world’s largest cocaine producer. The Venezuelan National Guard manages the country’s border security, and claimed on Twitter the U.S. charges against Reverol are a “campaign from the fascist right.”
Spokespeople for the U.S. Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Brooklyn U.S. Attorney’s Office have all declined to comment on the case. The charges will be made public at the end of the month.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro denies that drug trafficking is happening at the highest levels of government, and as of 2005, the DEA is no longer allowed to operate within Venezuela.
On Thursday, the nephews of Venezuela’s first lady will appear in court. They were extradited from Haiti to the U.S. in November for attempting to smuggle 1,800 pounds of cocaine into the U.S.
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