| In Venezuela
Cartel Case Citing Maduro Alcala Got 260
Months Pollo Trial Moved to June 30
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon
SDNY COURTHOUSE,
March 5 – Cliver Antonio
Alcala Cordones is charged as
part of a wide indictment of
the Venezuelan "Cartel de Los
Soles" and Colombia's
FARC. Also charged: El
Pollo, due in New York on July
20, 2023, see below.
On June 7,
2021 U.S. District Court for
the Southern District of New
York Judge Alvin K.
Hellerstein held a proceeding.
Inner City Press covered it.
The
indictment cites Nicolas
Maduro, and said he
"coordinated foreign affairs
with Honduras and other
countries to facilitate
large-scale drug
trafficking."
Jump cut
to November 30, 2022, when not
only the UN's Antonio Guterres
but now the Administration in
Washington, eager for oil, has
taken a different view of
Maduro. But the case goes
forward - in a pre-trial
proceeding attended by Inner
City Press, the US asked for a
July 2023 trial date and got
one, July 10 - threadette:
OK - now at
Venezuela narco case of US v.
Carvajal-Barrios, et al.,
proceeding delayed for some by
lack of interpreter....
Asst US
Attorney says wants July trial
date for today's defendant
Cliver Antonio Alcala Cordones
- but DOJ is still providing
discovery from another case.
Judge says July
10 trial, "no adjournments."
Then, guilty
plea- of Cliver Cordonez on
June 29.
On January 8,
2023 Cliver's lawyer wrote it
noting that Cliver only pled
to providing aid to the FARC
when he was a general. He
asked for 72 months as a
sentence.
On January 15,
MLK Day, the US Attorney's
Office wrote in asking for 360
months: 30 years.
On January 18,
the sentencing was scheduled
but did not happen. Rather, a
fact-finding Fatico hearing
was set: "Status Conference as
to Cliver Antonio Alcala
Cordones held on 1/18/2024.
Sentencing began... Sentencing
is adjourned; Fatico hearing
is scheduled for 2/27/24-
2/28/24 at 10:00am."
In the hall
it was said Cliver must be
disappointed that drugs are
still in the case, at least at
sentencing.
On March 11,
after the Fatico hearing(s),
Alcala filed again,
specifically dissing the
witness with the pseudonym
Jorge Leon, saying he is a
"well paid DEA informant
($45,000 to date, with a
$3,000 monthly stipend since
May 2023." Alcala also
attacked the credibility of
Antonio Arvelaiz, who also
testified in SDNY against
Carlos Orense. The defense
says Orense was not a witness
at the Fatico hearing; DOJ
says that the FRE do not apply
at Fatico hearings, where
hearsay can be considered. The
sentencing wasvpushed back
again.
On April 4, Judge
Hellerstein ruled that Alcala
did help the FARC's narco
trafficking. He wrote that
"Arguments with respect to the
above findings can be made at
the inception of the
sentencing hearing, previously
scheduled for April 8, 2024 at
10 a.m. The following edits
shall be made to the
transcript at ECF No. 154: At
12:6, the transcript shall say
"base level is 26." At 13:4,
13:9, and 13:25, references to
criminal history "IV" shall be
changed to "VI." SO ORDERED.
(Signed by Judge Alvin K.
Hellerstein on 4/4/2024)."
On April 8,
Alcala spoke against Maduro,
after which Judge Hellerstein
sentenced him to 260 months.
Thread here
On May 13,
counsel for El Pollo Caravajal
Barrios opposed the US
Attorney's Office ex parte
CIPA filings and bid for
delay, asserting again the
Speedy Trial Act. This comes
after Judge Furman granted
Inner City Press' application
the CIPA transcripts be
unsealed in US v. Schulte
(although due to the US
Attorney's Office mulling
appealing, nothing has yet
been unsealed).
On May 29,
Pollo's counsel wrote in to
say no 12(b)(4) motions
despite saying the government
may have illegally searched
his residences and internet
accounts in Venezuela. But, he
noted, there will might be
motions as discovery is
ongoing.
On March 5, 2025
Judge Hellerstein - in the
midst of presiding over the US
v. Charlie Javice fintech
fraudster trial - moved the
trial to June 30, 2025.
More details on X
for Subscribers here
and Substack (with Spanish) here
The case is US v.
Carvajal Barrios, et al.,
11-cr-205 (Hellerstein)
***
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