The judge presiding over the US Justice case against former Venezuelan general Hugo “El Pollo” Carvajal, accused of drug trafficking, rejected a defense request this Wednesday, accused of drug trafficking. Testimony of a Mexican drug trafficker Lawyers told EFE this could help exonerate Carvajal.
“El Pollo” Carvajal was extradited from Spain in July and charged with smuggling cocaine into the United States and pleaded not guilty. Judge from now on Alvin Hallerstein He gave the prosecution a three-month deadline to present all evidence in the case, which expired on Wednesday, November 1.
At today’s hearing New York, The judge, who was part of the trial preparations, rejected a defense request to include testimony from Mexican drug trafficker Luis Fernando Bertulucci Castillo (his pseudonym). Fernando Blengio, The Prosecutor’s Office objected to this claim on Tuesday, claiming that they could exonerate their client.
The defense had requested to take this statement in November 2022, but renewed its request almost two weeks ago and asked for Blengio’s testimony. “key witness”, He is no longer in U.S. custody but in Mexico, and his lawyers have said he is “willing to sit down and testify” there because he is barred from entering the United States.
Judge Hallerstein held the next hearing in the case against Carvajal on: 12 December.
In 2020, the United States indicted Carvajal, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and Diosdado Cabello, first vice president of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV). showmanand other Venezuelan leaders of narco-terrorist conspiracy.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office claims to have evidence that Carvajal participated in the shipment of a shipment 5.6 tons of cocaine The incident involving a DC-9 plane flying from Venezuela to Mexico in 2006 is a key issue in the case, and the defense motion cited by the judge this Wednesday was denied.
defense lawyer Zachary Margulos-Ohnuma He stated that Blengio admitted that the plane belonged to him and that he had bribed other Venezuelan officials, not Carvajal, so he was “disappointed” that his testimony was excluded at the hearing, even though he could provide “evidence” about those responsible for the incident. Drug trafficking, as explained to EFE.
“As I said in court today, the trial is an investigation of fact and it is difficult to understand why the Government and the judge did not want the jury to hear the trial. airplane owner “This is at the heart of the accusations against Hugo Carvajal,” he added.
The U.S. Government accuses Carvajal, like Maduro and Cabello, of participating in a corrupt and violent narco-terrorist conspiracy involving the Los Soles Cartel and Colombian guerrillas. FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia).