The sentencing of former Venezuelan intelligence chief Hugo \u201cEl Pollo\u201d Carvajal<\/strong> has been postponed to January 2026<\/strong> at the request of the U.S. government<\/strong>, following objections from the defense that demand a multi-day Fatico<\/em> hearing \u2014 a proceeding designed to assess disputed evidence before sentencing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Carvajal, once a close ally of the late president Hugo Ch\u00e1vez<\/strong>, was extradited to the United States in 2023 and later convicted on drug-trafficking-related charges<\/strong>. Prosecutors accuse him of using his position to facilitate shipments of cocaine from Venezuela to the U.S. through alliances with Colombian guerrilla groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Defense attorneys argue that key pieces of evidence presented by the prosecution require further examination and have requested the opportunity to challenge witness credibility and intelligence reports. The delay could extend the high-profile case into early 2026, potentially bringing forward new revelations about the nexus between the Venezuelan government and international drug networks.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Analysts say the outcome may also influence Washington\u2019s broader policy toward Nicol\u00e1s Maduro\u2019s administration<\/strong>, especially as the U.S. continues to pressure Caracas over human-rights and narcotics-trafficking concerns. The Department of Justice has not commented on whether additional charges or cooperating witnesses could be revealed before the new sentencing date.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The case could expose new details linking Venezuela\u2019s former intelligence leadership to global narcotrafficking networks. The sentencing of former Venezuelan intelligence chief Hugo \u201cEl Pollo\u201d Carvajal has been postponed to January 2026 at the request of the U.S. government, following objections from the defense that demand a multi-day Fatico hearing \u2014 a proceeding designed to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2362,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[63,168],"class_list":["post-2361","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world","tag-u-s","tag-venezuela"],"yoast_head":"\n