Former Venezuelan Generals Seek to Assist Maduro’s U.S. Prosecution

Former Venezuelan Maj. Gen. Cliver Alcalá was working an early-morning shift in his U.S. prison’s kitchen one Saturday when his country’s ousted president suddenly appeared on TV. Nicolás Maduro, whom federal prosecutors have accused of being Alcalá’s co-conspirator, had been seized by American forces from his palace in Caracas, Venezuela’s capital.

“Since then, I have to tell you that I sleep more peacefully,” Alcalá, who once tried to lead his own ragtag coup against Maduro, said in a telephone interview from his medium-security facility in Maryland.

Alcalá and another former top official accused of conspiring with Maduro to traffic vast amounts of cocaine into the U.S. view the capture and potential criminal trial of Maduro as a golden opportunity to assist the U.S. government in its prosecution of the ousted president—and, in turn, help themselves.

Alcalá, 64 years old, is serving a nearly 22-year sentence after pleading guilty in 2023 to providing material support, including firearms, to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, a former rebel group. He still denies some of the allegations against him—which presents a high hurdle for working with prosecutors—but openly claims to have information about alleged crimes committed by Maduro and his allies.

“I remain at your disposal to collaborate broadly with your government, with the aim of contributing to the security and justice of your country and mine,” Alcalá wrote in a letter to President Trump from prison.

Another alleged co-conspirator, former Venezuelan spy chief Hugo Carvajal, is in talks with prosecutors about being a cooperating witness against Maduro, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Nicknamed El Pollo—the chicken—Carvajal was the first Venezuelan official indicted in the U.S. case, in 2011. He began criticizing Maduro in 2017 and two years later threw his support behind a U.S.-backed opposition leader.

About the Author: Patriotman

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