Maduro highlighted the general’s prior experience as director of Venezuela’s National Anti-Drug Office (ONA) as well as commander of the National Guard, which he said would “strengthen” his government’s controversial anti-crime campaign, the OLP. While the firing of Perez Abad disappointed analysts hoping that Venezuela might be able to save itself, the real surprise came when Major General Nestor Reverol, who was indicted in the US for drug trafficking the day before, was rewarded with an Interior & Justice Ministry post. “What a coincidence that there are no drug kingpins in the United States”, said Maduro, adding that Venezuela has captured dozens of drug traffickers.
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Prosecutors in NY announced on Monday that Gen Reverol and his former deputy at the anti-narcotics agency, Gen Edilberto Jose Molina, are suspected of receiving payments from drug traffickers in exchange for information about raids.
The Venezuelan government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
US prosecutors announced an indictment on Monday against Reverol and another official over allegations they took part in a cocaine distribution scheme.
They also took sabotaged narcotics investigations, to allow cocaine-laden vehicles to leave Venezuela, and arranged for the release of jailed cartel members. Maduro says drug traffickers run USA politics and want to make Reverol pay for his good work cracking down on the drug trade in Venezuela. It charged that the two co- conspirators helped facilitate shipments of cocaine from Colombia through Venezuela, up through Mexico and Central America and eventually to the U.S.
Authorities in Miami, New York, Washington and other jurisdictions have been conducting wide-ranging investigations of several Venezuelan officials for alleged drug trafficking and money laundering.
In 2014, Gen. Hugo Carvajal, the former head of Venezuelan military intelligence, was briefly detained on the Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba on a USA warrant for drug trafficking.
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Relations between the United States and Venezuela have been tense for years with Venezuelan officials regularly accusing the U.S. government of trying to topple President Maduro and the USA criticising Venezuela for its human rights record.
