Drug seizure involving former Venezuelan diplomat

On September 8, José Rafael Escorihuela Pereira, identified as a former Venezuelan diplomat, was detained at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport after Spanish Civil Guard agents discovered 50 kilograms of cocaine hidden in his luggage.

Escorihuela previously served as minister counselor and second chief of mission at the Venezuelan Embassy in New Delhi, and was listed as a minister counselor at the Venezuelan Embassy in Madrid starting in March 2023. However, the Venezuelan embassy clarified that he is a former official who has not held a position related to the mission for two years.

On September 25, authorities confirmed the arrest of a second individual at Madrid-Barajas Airport, Kelvin Jesús Matos Pérez. Matos Pérez is also linked to the Venezuelan diplomatic mission and reportedly has family ties to the Maduro family. Escorihuela was found with the cocaine upon arrival from the Dominican Republic.

The judicial investigation into the seizure is being handled by the courts in Plaza de Castilla and remains under judicial secrecy. Authorities are investigating the scope of the operation, potential accomplices, and whether the suspects used similar methods to smuggle drugs into Spain in the past.