Two relatives of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro have been arrested and brought to NY on charges they conspired to transport cocaine to the United States, the Wall Street Journal reports.
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Campo Flores and Flores de Freitas were charged in a sealed indictment, and prosecutors say they meant to sell the cocaine in NY, an unidentified person with knowledge of the matter told The NY Times.
US agents arrested members of the Venezuelan president’s family in Haiti on charges of drug smuggling, officials said.
Details about the arrest was corroborated by Mike Vigil, a former chief of global operations for the Drug Enforcement Administration who has contacts which might be high-level federal law enforcement officers.
It’s unclear what Haitian agency, if any, performed the arrest, but the two suspected drug traffickers were quickly handed over to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency.
With the elections looming, news of the arrest will likely deal another blow to Maduro’s embattled socialist government.
Both men were carrying diplomatic passports even though they do not have diplomatic immunity, he said. Caracas routinely denies allegations that it is involved in drug trafficking, characterizing them as efforts to destabilize its leftist government. The US government says more than 200 tons a year of cocaine flows through Venezuela, about a third of Colombia’s estimated production.
Venezuela’s Information Ministry did not immediately respond to calls seeking comment.
Cabello, known as Venezuela’s second most influential figure, has been at the center of the attention of US drug-trafficking investigation, which also includes top members of the country’s government, Fox News Latino further reported.
The OAS’ Luis Almagro on Tuesday urged Tibisay Lucena, who heads Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE), to level the playing field between the Socialist Party and opposition ahead of legislative elections due December 6.
Diosdado Cabello, president of Venezuela’s National Assembly, accused the United States of trying to destabilise Mr Maduro’s administration ahead of elections.
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Ms Flores and Mr Maduro formally Wednesday in 2013 shortly after Mr Maduro was elected president following Mr Chavez’s death.
