| Venezuelan
Carlos Orense Trafficked 100 of Tons of
Drugs Cooperator Says Citing Pollo Too
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon
SDNY COURT, Nov
28 –
Venezuelan indicted
narco-trafficker Carlos Orense
Azocar was presented in
Magistrates Court in the U.S.
District Court for the
Southern District of New York
on June 23, 2023 and Inner
City Press was (the only
media) there.
Orense had
just been extradited in from
Italy and the indictment
against him unsealed.
The case was
wheeled out and assigned to
District Judge Vernon S.
Broderick.
On
November 14, Inner City Press
covered the final pre-trial
conference before Judge
Broderick. Thread.
On November 28,
Inner City Press at 10 am
and later. Thread:
Now
cooperator Antonio Arvelaez
(in court also said Antonio
Arbelaez) takes the stand.
Says he trafficked over 100
tons of drugs to the US, most
of it with Orense. Also,
automatic rifles, he says.
Arvelaez: I
pled guilty, in the SDFL court
in Miami, as a
cooperator. AUSA: Have
you been involved in murders?
Arvelaez: Yes. [Orense looks
back toward his daughter and
slowly shakes his head]
AUSA: Were you
transfered to other
facilities? Arvelaez: "DRJ" in
Georgia, and one in
Mississippi. Then back to
Miami. AUSA: For proffers?
Arvelaez: Yes. With the DEA,
and ICE.
AUSA: Where did
Orense live? Arvelaez: In
Caracas, in narcotrafico. I
became his driver, then
bodyguard. One of about 15.
Then I moved into drug
transport logistics.
AUSA: Did
you pay bribes to government
officials? Arvelaez:
Yes. AUSA: Who helped in
moving the drugs? Arvelaez:
Venezuela army and police, and
sometimes the FARC. AUSA: Who
were Orense's drug
partners? Arvelaez: Hugo
Caravajal, El Pollo, and Pedro
Luis Martin
[Jury is
shown GX 102, photo of Martin
in blue striped Oxford cloth
shirt.... Note: El Pollo's
lawyer is here in the
courtroom. And another defense
lawyer, more on which anon
AUSA: What us
this? Arvelaez: A photo of
General Hugo Caravajal, El
Pollo, head of Venezuela
military counter-
intelligence. He gave us
vehicles and passage through
the country
Judge: We'll let
the jury go.
Inner City Press
will continue to cover the
trial.
The case is US v.
Azocar, 21-cr-379 (Broderick)
***
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