Venezuelan ex-general Hugo Carvajal seeks US plea deal, eyes Brazil 2026 election impact

Former Venezuelan military intelligence chief Hugo Carvajal, known as “O Frango,” pleaded guilty in 2025 to a conspiracy to traffic drugs and weapons, a charge that carries up to 50 years in prison. He is now negotiating a cooperation agreement with U.S. authorities, potentially alongside businessman Alex Saab, who was arrested in February 2024 and deported to the United States.

Carvajal, who served under Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro before breaking with the regime in 2019 and supporting opposition leader Juan Guaidó, has previously accused Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of wrongdoing. U.S. officials see his testimony as a possible tool to influence Brazil’s 2026 presidential election, a scenario that could benefit former U.S. President Donald Trump. Carvajal’s open letter to Trump warned of drug‑related violence and a Russian listening post on the island of La Orchila, adding further geopolitical weight to the pending plea deal.