Ex-police chief arrested in Venezuela: drugs and weapons in the game!

Ex-police chief arrested in Venezuela: drugs and weapons in the game!

Venezuela - Investigators in Venezuela arrested the former police chief Jesús Alfredo Itriago. Itriago, who previously worked as the head of the anti-drug unit of the Venezuelan criminal police, was charged with drug trade, money laundering and weapon trade. According to the information from OE24.at, his arrest on Friday was announced by the Venezuelan public prosecutor. In particular, he is accused of having exploited his position to protect drug deliveries and after the arrest of several accomplices to have continued the trade over their smuggling routes.

itriago has been charged with a reward of $ five million in the United States because of his alleged participation in the import of cocaine. This statement was published by the US authorities in 2020 in order to obtain information on the attitude of the former civil servant. The arrest represents a further step in the fight against extensive corruption and drug crime in Venezuela, which, according to reports from the Gao blog, is also favored by the political unrest and the financial collapse in the country.

corruption and drug trafficking

Venezuela is increasingly perceived as a transshipment point for illegal activities, including drug trafficking and money laundering. The state authorities have difficulty taking action against the widespread corruption. This means that transnational criminal organizations can act unhindered. Evaluations of the Ministry of Finance have shown that over 300 people and companies associated with Venezuela were sanctioned because they are involved in criminal activities.

As is found in a report by American Military News, not only Itriago, but also other former Venezuelan civil servants, are suspected of being involved in considerable drug trafficking. Several of them have been on the run for years. In particular, Pedro Luis Martin-Olivares, a former economic officer of the Venezuelan secret service, is sought with a reward of up to $ 10 million. These developments are part of a more comprehensive strategy of the US government that the Venezuelan government, including President Nicolás Maduro, is targeting.

Maduro and other high -ranking civil servants are accused of working with the Farc, a group classified as terroristically, to use Venezuela as a retreat for drug deliveries. These machinations undermine the efforts of the US drug control authorities and make the country a central transit point for the cocaine trade, which is smuggled from Colombia to the USA and Europe as well as Africa.

political instability and corruption in Venezuela have transformed the country into a so-called Narco state. This shows how vulnerable the country is towards illegal financial flows that continue to destabilize it. Analyzes show that oil and illegal gold are among the main sources of Venezuela's income, which also contributes to the problems in combating drug crime.

The US authorities have initiated measures to counter illegal activities that affect the United States. In this context, the arrest of Jesús Alfredo Itriago is another step to combat corruption and drug trafficking in Venezuela and to ensure the security of the region.