Texas residents might have heard about federal drug investigations involving high-level officials in Venezuela. On Dec. 15, a source said that the head of the country’s national guard will be charged. Another general in the national guard, who has also held a position in the country’s anti-drug office, will be charged as well.
As part of a similar investigation in November, two men were taken into custody and sent to the United States from Haiti. According to officials, the two, who were the nephews of Venezuela’s first lady, were planning to move 1,800 pounds of cocaine.
The charges may be reported publicly by late December. The two men who will allegedly be charged and other Venezuelan officials did not reply to phone calls or offer any comments on the case. Previously, Venezuelan officials said that the investigations are attempts at destabilizing the government.
Even people who find themselves facing less high-profile drug charges may be looking at potentially serious penalties, which for drug trafficking might include prison time. People charged with drug crimes might want to talk to a criminal defense attorney about their options. In some cases, the person might have been living in a house with someone who was involved in drug sales but might not have been involved. A person in a situation like that might wish to plead innocent. In other cases, a person might want to negotiate a reduced sentence in exchange for cooperating with prosecutors and providing more information on the case. If the investigation violated any laws, the charges might be dismissed.
Source: Fox News, “U.S. officials to charge Venezuelan military officials with cocaine trafficking,” Dec. 16, 2015