Arrest warrant issued in Argentina against Diosdado Cabello

Tuesday, March 15th 2022 - 09:29 UTC

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Cabello is sought by US authorities for drug trafficking

Argentine surrogate Judge Mariela Alejandra Giménez has issued an arrest warrant against Venezuela's Government leader Diosdado Cabello, number two of the ruling PSUV, should he try to enter the country. Authorities believe Cabello might try to travel through the northern border in the province of Jujuy.

The Acting Federal Judge of San Salvador, capital of Jujuy, made her ruling “to order the preventive detention of Diosdado Cabello Rondón with respect to whom it is known, that he would travel to the Republic of Argentina approximately on March 11, 2022, and that he would enter the national territory through the Province of Jujuy, in accordance with the provisions of Article 11 of the Extradition Treaty in force between the Republic of Argentina and the United States.”

The judge's order was sent to the Federal Police, the Gendarmerie (border police), and the Airport Security Police and it includes an alert with Cabello's photograph and states that there is “a warrant for his arrest by the United States”.

Giménez explained that a request arrived at her court ”by virtue of the arrest warrant issued by the Federal Court for the Southern District of New York, within the framework of the case S2 11 Cr. 205(AHK), all of this by virtue of the provisions of articles 46, 111 and 112 of the Law of Cooperation in Criminal Matters (Law 24.767)“.

Cabello is charged with ”conspiracy to distribute and possession for the purpose of distribution of five kilograms or more of cocaine, knowingly and with the direct or indirect intent to give property with pecuniary value to an organization that is or has been involved in terrorist activities or acts of terrorism.“

Also listed in the indictment are several other crimes: ”Conspiracy to commit the following acts: importation of five kilograms or more of cocaine into the United States of America; production, distribution and possession for the purpose of distribution of five kilograms or more of cocaine, knowing, intending and having probable cause to believe that the cocaine would be unlawfully imported into the United States.”