This statement was established in a conversation with journalist and former Colombian Vice President Francisco Santos on the podcast “Dossier Venezuela,” where the ruling and subsequent letter from former General Cliver Alcalá Cordones to U.S. President Donald Trump were analyzed. Both the ruling and the letter serve as catalysts to confirm the existence and modus operandi of the cartel, corroborating the accusations made by the U.S. justice system.
The Cartel of the Suns, originally led by Hugo Chávez and now controlled by key figures like Nicolás Maduro and Diosdado Cabello, also involves high-ranking military officials, civilian officials, and leaders of Colombian irregular groups. Alcalá now claims that Jorge and Delcy Rodríguez act as the “masterminds” of the cartel.
Additionally, the Aragua Train serves as an asymmetric warfare tool for Nicolás Maduro’s regime, alongside complex networks of international influence that include electoral fraud through systems like Smartmatic, espionage in collaboration with Cuba, and strategic alliances with Iran and Hezbollah.
Complex Challenge
Organized crime in Venezuela and its ramifications in Latin America were the subject of discussion between this journalist and political communicator Francisco Santos, where the testimonial value of figures such as Cliver Alcalá Cordones and Hugo “El Pollo” Carvajal was evaluated. It was established that while their testimonies are crucial for future judicial processes, dismantling a criminal structure so deeply rooted in state power presents an enormous complexity challenge.
Former Venezuelan official Cliver Alcalá Cordones was sentenced in the U.S. to over 21 years in prison (1), after pleading guilty to charges related to the Cartel of the Suns and cocaine distribution.
Alcalá Cordones also pointed out the regime’s ties with Iran and Hezbollah, along with electoral manipulation using Smartmatic, and the exportation of the mega-criminal gang Aragua Train.
Cliver Alcalá Cordones: From Arrogance to Collaboration
Cliver Alcalá Cordones, one of the highest-ranking officials in chavismo, represents a key piece in Venezuela’s criminal structure. His trajectory and recent judicial situation provide an internal view of the Cartel of the Suns’ operations.
Profile and Role
As a high-ranking official, Alcalá leveraged his power to facilitate the transit of cocaine from Colombia via airports and military infrastructure under his command. He enriched himself by collecting significant bribes, such as USD 50,000 for each drug-laden flight he allowed to take off.
Capture and Judicial Process
After distancing himself from Maduro’s regime and organizing a failed attempt to overthrow Maduro from Colombia, Alcalá Cordones surrendered to the DEA in 2020 when the U.S. Department of Justice offered a USD 10 million reward for his capture. His case is set to continue until 2024.
Sentence and Attitude Change
Alcalá pleaded guilty to two charges, including providing weapons to the FARC and participating in the Cartel of the Suns, which confirms its existence. Despite his arrogant and mocking demeanor during the trial, he was sentenced to 21 years and 8 months in prison, a much harsher penalty than the 10 years he anticipated.
The Letter to Donald Trump
The harsh sentence prompted Cliver Alcalá Cordones to seek a collaboration agreement. His letter is a strategic attempt to present himself as a valuable witness who can offer information to bolster U.S. investigations. In it, he aims to position himself for a sentence reduction.
Key allegations in the letter to Trump:
- Masterminds: he points out Delcy and Jorge Rodríguez as the “true Machiavellian masterminds” of the cartel, suggesting that Maduro and Diosdado Cabello are merely visible figures. This narrative aims to implicate actors not included in the main indictment from the Southern District of New York.
- Opportunistic Testimony: his testimony is considered a reconstruction of past events (having been outside the regime since 2016 and imprisoned since 2020), but its value lies in reinforcing with high-level testimony the evidence already in possession of the prosecution.
The Cartel of the Suns: Structure and Operations
During this communicator’s discussion with Francisco Santos, Cliver Alcalá Cordones’ testimony established that the Cartel of the Suns is not a traditional cartel, but rather a complex fusion between the state apparatus and transnational organized crime.
Hierarchy Level
Original Leadership
Hugo Chávez: indicated as the founding head and main architect of the criminal structure.
Current Heads
Nicolás Maduro and Diosdado Cabello: heirs and expanders of the criminal apparatus, serving roles as guarantors and key operators.
High Military Command
Cliver Alcalá Cordones, Hugo “El Pollo” Carvajal, Néstor Reverol, Vladimir Padrino López: high-ranking officials who use the Armed Forces as instruments for drug trafficking and other illicit activities.
Civil Operators
Tareck El Aissami: a key figure in the structure, currently imprisoned by the regime.
Delcy and Jorge Rodríguez: described by Alcalá as the “brains” of the criminal corporation.
Money Launderers
Nervis Villalobos and Rafael Ramírez: “boliburgueses” who manage cartel funds, operating mainly from Spain, where they evade extradition to the U.S.
External Partners
FARC (Segunda Marquetalia): figures like “Iván Márquez” and “Jesús Santrich” appear in the U.S. indictment as strategic partners.
Sinaloa Cartel: a key ally in the global distribution of narcotics.
Illicit Activities of the Cartel of the Suns
The Cartel of the Suns has diversified its illicit activities beyond cocaine trafficking:
- Cocaine Trafficking: they use direct routes to the United States, collaborating with Colombian drug traffickers.
- Gold Trafficking and Illegal Mining: they control the Mining Arc, reportedly supervised by Nicolás Maduro Guerra (“Nicolasito”), son of Nicolás Maduro.
- Gasoline Smuggling: they systematically control illegal fuel distribution networks.
The Aragua Train: An Export Weapon
Cliver Alcalá Cordones provides direct testimony regarding the origins of the connection between the state and the mega-gang “Aragua Train.”
Origin in Tocorón (2011): Alcalá claims to have personally witnessed in the Tocorón prison the connection between the state and the Aragua Train, noting that Antonio Enrique Álvarez Cisneros, alias “Potro Álvarez,” a former sports minister in the regime, controlled the “pranes” — prison leaders — under direct orders from Hugo Chávez.
Exportation of the Gang: he states that Nicolás Maduro deliberately used the massive exodus of Venezuelan migrants to “insert” members of the Aragua Train into neighboring countries, turning the gang into a regional destabilization tool.
Deliberate Omissions: in his account, Alcalá omits central figures involved in consolidating the power of the “pranes” and the Aragua Train, presumably to protect allies. Among those omitted are:
-Iris Varela: former minister of penitentiary affairs who, under Chávez’s directive, developed a close relationship with gang leaders to create the “new man.”
-Tareck El Aissami and Freddy Bernal: co-responsible figures in the structure that empowered these criminal organizations.
International Influence and Hybrid Warfare
The Chavista regime has operated a sophisticated machine of international influence, espionage, and strategic alliances with actors hostile to the West since its inception.
Electoral Fraud and the Smartmatic System
- Control Mechanism: according to testimony, Smartmatic was an electoral system created by Chávez’s regime in 2004, with state funds and Cuban collaboration, designed to manipulate elections and ensure their staying in power.
- Technical Operation: biometric and parallel platforms were developed, controlled by operators from the regime, like General Carlos Quintero, a key figure in the National Electoral Council (CNE).
- Exportation of the Model: this technological fraud system was exported to interfere with electoral processes in over 70 countries, including the United States. Although initially dismissed as “conspiracy theories,” these accusations are now reaching U.S. courts, as seen in the case of the Smartmatic CEO accused in Florida of bribery in the Philippines.
Espionage Networks and Influence Buying
- Collaboration with Cuba: since 1999, the Castro regime took control of the Venezuelan intelligence apparatus, using it to expand its espionage network in South America and the United States. Agents were sent with Venezuelan passports, harder to trace than Cuban ones. Hugo “El Pollo” Carvajal, as head of intelligence, was the executor of this plan.
- Influence Buying: Chávez used massive oil revenues to buy influence, penetrating U.S. intelligence agencies and funding politicians and media in the U.S. and Spain.
- Propaganda: the Cartel of the Suns operates media outlets, especially from Spain, to disseminate favorable narratives, such as promoting Rafael Ramírez as a figure for potential transition in Venezuela.
Strategic Alliances: Iran and Hezbollah
- Origin of the Alliance: Hugo Chávez established a strategic relationship with the Iranian regime and its then-president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, starting in 2006. This alliance allowed Iran to use Venezuela as a platform to penetrate Latin America.
- Involved Actors: alliances were forged with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Hezbollah, and Cuban intelligence to evade sanctions and develop operations in the region.
- Family Implication: Cliver Alcalá’s brother, Carlos Alcalá Cordones, served as Venezuela’s ambassador to Iran, demonstrating the closeness of his network to this alliance.
Modus Operandi of Criminal Corporations
The analysis describes how the Cartel of the Suns operates under a corporate model, where state control is not an objective but a necessary instrument for business.
1. Control of the State Apparatus: criminal corporations have departments dedicated to “negotiating” with the government. Their goal is to conquer, recruit, neutralize, or eliminate officials at all levels (presidents, prosecutors, judges, lawmakers) to remove obstacles.
2. Financial Penetration: they take advantage of weak regulations in campaign financing to infiltrate illegal money, buy votes, and position their candidates. The case of the “narcosobrinos” of Cilia Flores revealed how cash was used to secure votes in parliamentary elections.
3. State-Crime Fusion: the final goal is to merge with the state to control territory, essential for drug trafficking business. In this model, the state becomes a tool to protect criminals, facilitate drug transit, and launder money on a massive scale, turning illegal economy into legal through investments in hotels, restaurants, universities, and businesses.
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