Eduardo Andrés Capriles Gonzalo, 44, epitomizes the fusion of nightlife, shady business, and political power in chavista Venezuela. Cousin of opposition leader Henrique Capriles Radonski, his career has not been defined by traditional politics but rather by financial scandals, ties to the regime, and a life of excess that has now placed him under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice.
From the “awkward cousin” to a chavista-linked businessman
Though he presents himself as a businessman, Capriles Gonzalo built his fortune in the shadows, taking advantage of ties to powerful figures. In Venezuela, he has been linked to illegal expropriations, including a mansion in Caraballeda that once belonged to Mitzy Capriles, wife of Antonio Ledezma—who, ironically, is also his cousin. The pattern is clear: seizing high-value properties from wealthy families who fled the country, always under the cover of security agencies.
His name resurfaced in 2023 and 2024 when he was photographed, in full military uniform, at activities of the Directorate of Military Counterintelligence (Dgcim). Capriles was seen alongside Alexander Granko Arteaga, head of the Dgcim and sanctioned internationally for human rights abuses, and even at official events with Nicolás Maduro himself. On other occasions, he was spotted patrolling Caracas in the company of Gustavo Perdomo, owner of Globovisión and linked to chavista elites.
The seized jet and ties to the Cartel of the Suns
The most explosive case involving him centers on a Falcon 2000EX jet, tail number T7-ESPRT, seized in the Dominican Republic. According to U.S. sources, the aircraft was regularly used by Nicolás Maduro, Delcy Rodríguez, and Granko. The plane was jointly acquired by Capriles and José Vicente Amparan Croquer, a financial operator facing cases in Spain and the U.S. for his role in the $1.2 billion Pdvsa “Money Flight” fraud scheme. The two men also happen to be brothers-in-law.
The seizure, publicly announced by Senator Marco Rubio, revealed Capriles’ role in sanction-evasion schemes and placed him directly in the sights of the U.S. Department of Justice, which is considering charges linking him to the Cartel of the Suns, designated as a narco-terrorist organization.
From nightlife to celebrity romances
Capriles has never hidden his personal life. He has been romantically linked to Gaby Espino, Patricia Zavala, and Oriana Luchesse—though the latter is publicly the partner of Jorge Giménez Ochoa, president of Venezuela’s Football Federation. His reputation as a “playboy enchufado” was cemented with the opening of Trío nightclub in Caracas’ upscale Chacao district. Recently, he reportedly forced his former partner Alfredo Lovera Reyes out of the business—and out of the country.
Wearing the uniform, playing the part
What is most striking, however, is his proximity to chavista security forces. Eduardo Capriles not only appears at official ceremonies but dresses in elite military uniforms, projecting himself as a man of state security while simultaneously maintaining assets and business dealings in the U.S., Spain, and the Dominican Republic.
Today, Henrique Capriles Radonski’s “awkward cousin” stands cornered. He flaunts uniforms of the Dgcim while U.S. prosecutors follow his financial trail. Between private jets, celebrity romances, expropriated mansions, and partnerships with sanctioned figures like Granko, his future looks as fragile as the fortunes and aircraft already stripped from his empire.
@lombardoven Eduardo Capriles Gonzalo vuelve a ser noticia por aparecer uniformado junto a Granko, esta vez, bajo la mirada de Maduro. No le importa sus negocios en Estados Unidos ni el avión de su propiedad junto a José Vicente Amparan Cróquer que fue decomisado en República Dominicana: sigue exhibiendose junto a sancionados del régimen #fyp #noticias #venezuela ♬ Casanova – Soolking & Gazo