Venezuela's first lady says DEA kidnapped her nephews

[webfact]

Venezuela's first lady says DEA kidnapped her nephews

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela's first lady on Tuesday broke her silence on the arrest of her two nephews on drug trafficking charges, saying they were kidnapped by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Cilia Flores, who serves in congress, told Venezuelan weekly Tal Cual that the U.S. was seeking revenge and trying to force the socialists from power in the South American country.

She said the government had proof that the DEA had conducted an illegal operation on Venezuelan soil and "violated our sovereignty."

Two of Flores' nephews were arrested in November in Haiti and transferred to New York. They are being held on charges of conspiring to smuggle cocaine into the U.S.

"The DEA committed the crime of kidnapping," Flores said.

U.S prosecutors have investigated several top Venezuelan officials for drug charges, but November's arrests marked the first time President Nicolas Maduro's inner circle was directly implicated.

Flores had refrained from addressing the case. But that's been increasingly hard to do after the opposition won control of congress and allowed reporters to enter the congressional chamber for the first time in years.

Last week, Flores was filmed ignoring direct questions from reporters on the topic, which local press has dubbed the "narconephews" scandal.


-- (c) Associated Press 2016-01-13

[craigt3365]

Maybe if they weren't trafficking cocaine they wouldn't have been kidnapped?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegal_drug_trade_in_Venezuela#Venezuelan_government

According to Jackson Diehl. Deputy Editorial Page Editor of The Washington Post, the Bolivarian government of Venezuela shelters "one of the world’s biggest drug cartels". There have also been allegations that former president Hugo Chávez and Diosdado Cabello being involved with drug trafficking.^[15]

In May 2015, The Wall Street Journal reported from United States officials that drug trafficking in Venezuela increased significantly with Colombian drug traffickers moving from Colombia to Venezuela due to pressure from law enforcement.^[16] One United States Department of Justice official described the higher ranks of the Venezuelan government and military as "a criminal organization", with high ranking Venezuelan officials, such as National Assembly President Diosdado Cabello, being accused of drug trafficking.^[16] Those involved with investigations stated that Venezuelan government defectors and former traffickers had given information to investigators and that details of those involved in government drug trafficking were increasing.^[16]

http://www.wsj.com/articles/venezuelan-officials-suspected-of-turning-country-into-global-cocaine-hub-1431977784

U.S. prosecutors are investigating several high-ranking Venezuelan officials, including the president of the country’s congress, on suspicion that they have turned the country into a global hub for cocaine trafficking and money laundering, according to more than a dozen people familiar with the probes.

An elite unit of the Drug Enforcement Administration in Washington and federal prosecutors in New York and Miami are building cases using evidence provided by former cocaine traffickers, informants who were once close to top Venezuelan officials and defectors from the Venezuelan military, these people say.

A leading target, according to a Justice Department official and other American authorities, is National Assembly President Diosdado Cabello, considered the country’s second most-powerful man.

[Berkshire]

This woman has got some chutzpah making these public statements. Surely she must have some idea that her narconephews are drug traffickers. If I was US law enforcement, I'd have some suspicions that this woman and other members of her family may be complicit.

[ggt]

Whaaaat? The US involved in covert operations in a foreign sovereign country?

Everyone knows this could never happen...

[jaaaason]

Maybe they should have asked the CIA how they moved their drugs and did a little government to government co-operation

[craigt3365]

Whaaaat? The US involved in covert operations in a foreign sovereign country?

Everyone knows this could never happen...

Yes, heaven forbid they go after drug dealers.

[trogers]

Is Haiti the capital of Venezuela?

[Somtamnication]

Having lots of family there and knowing the misery they are going through, that house of cards is falling and I am happy that it is. Karma is a b...h.