| Venezuelan
Carlos Orense Met with Beltran Leyva in
Mexico Cooperator Arvelaiz Says
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon Substack
SDNY COURT, Nov
30 –
Venezuelan indicted
narco-trafficker Carlos Orense
Azocar was presented in
Magistrates Court in the U.S.
District Court for the
Southern District of New York
on June 23, 2023 and Inner
City Press was (the only
media) there.
Orense had
just been extradited in from
Italy and the indictment
against him unsealed.
The case was
wheeled out and assigned to
District Judge Vernon S.
Broderick.
On
November 14, Inner City Press
covered the final pre-trial
conference before Judge
Broderick. Thread.
On November 28,
Inner City Press at 10 am
and later. Thread:
Now
cooperator Antonio Arvelaez
(in court also said Antonio
Arbelaez) takes the stand.
Says he trafficked over 100
tons of drugs to the US, most
of it with Orense. Also,
automatic rifles, he says.
This
continued, with sound effects,
on November 29. Thread.
On November 30,
more names on direct - and
3500 material on cross.
Thread:
All rise! Judge:
Juror 9 has expressed concern
she is not getting paid. I'm
going to look into it. It may
become an issue. Please bring
in the witness. [It is the
cooperator Arvelaez, with neck
tattoo, still on direct. Seems
to have a slight limp.]
Jury
entering!AUSA: Let's talk
about General Cliver Alcala.
Cooperator Arvalaiz: He
controlled the central region
of Venezuela, so El Pollo
Caravajal said.
AUSA: How did
Alcala help Orense?
Cooperator: Yes. We and our
1000 kilos of cocaine were
escorted by Cliver ["Cleaver"]
AUSA: What
uniforms did they have?
Cooperator Arvelaiz: The green
uniform of the Venezuela
National Guard. The cocaine
was bound for Guatemala, the
pilots told me. AUSA: Who did
Caravajal recomment Cliver to?
Cooperator: Carlos Orense.
AUSA: Did Orense
do anything for Alcala for his
help?
Cooperator
Arvelaiz: I delivered money to
him in 2008 in Valencia.
AUSA: Who gave the order?
Cooperator: Carlos Orense. I
picked up a long black bag of
$20 bills - some 2 or 3
million dollars
AUSA: Where
did you take the money to?
Cooperator Arvelaiz: To the
BOD Tower in Valencia. Armed
men accepted the money from
us. [Jury is shown photo of 15
or so story beige building
with square windows and
rounded front.]
AUSA: Did Orense
speak to you about Tareck El
Aissami? Cooperator Arvelaiz:
Yes, Orense told me El Pollo
had introduced them, El
Aissami helped us with a
cocaine delivery, he told us
to wait out the checkpoints.
AUSA: What
about General Néstor Reverol?
Cooperator
Arvelaiz: He would tip us off
to drug operations. AUSA: And
Jesus Itriago? Cooperator: He
let us know there was an
operation, so we stopped until
he met Itriago in Caracas.
AUSA: Switching
topics, how did Orense receive
money? Cooperator Arvelaiz:
Cash money, always in US
dollars. I flew cash in from
the Dominican Republic, $3
million one time. We had
Customs and Police squared
away.
AUSA: Who did
mirror transactions for
Orense? Cooperator Arvelaiz:
Many people did it for
him. AUSA: Does Orense
have children? Cooperator:
Yes. Eduardo, Adonis, Carlito
and two daughters [one has
been periodically present at
this trial]
AUSA: In your
experience, do drug
traffickers put plane in their
name? Orense's lawyer:
Objection! Judge: Sustained...
[To the witness"] Do you know
other drug traffickers?
Cooperator Arvelaiz: Yes. They
put the plane in the name of
companies. Judge: Strike that
AUSA: Were
there weapons on the finca?
Cooperator Arvelaiz: Yes, we
fired them and talked about
them. Orense said the best
business was trading a gun
worth $500 for 1 or 2 kilos of
cocaine, with the guerrilla.
AUSA: Do you speak English?
Cooperator: Un poco
AUSA: Why
did you stop working with
Orense? Cooperator Arvelaiz:
Some money was lost, I sent
someone else to pick up money
in the Dominican Republic and
he disappeared. I was held
responsible. AUSA: Were you
also involved in fraud?
Cooperator: Yes. Bolivars f/x
Cooperator
Arvelaiz: I did a big food
business deal with the
Venezuela government. But the
food was damaged and expired,
people got sick, there were
legal suits and prosecution.
It was 2010.
Cooperator
Arvelaiz: After Roberto ran
off with the money, Orense
invited me to a restaurant in
Caracas. He, Pedro Luis Martin
and Pollo asked me how I would
pay it back. I said, I didn't
steal it, I'm not paying it
back. Our relationship got
bad.
Cross:
OK - in narcos
Venezuela trial, now Carlos
Orense's lawyer is cross
examining cooperator Arvelaiz,
after his testimony about El
Pollo Caraval, Pedro Luis
Martin, Jesus Alfredo Itriago,
etc.
Orense's lawyer:
So how you rent out boats in
Miami?
Cooperator
Arvelaiz: Yes. Orense's
lawyer: How much do you earn?
Cooperator: It depends. It's a
family business.
Orense's lawyer:
Do you have a tattoo of
Scarface?
Cooperator
Arvelaiz: Yes, I like that
movie Orense's lawyer: Have
you seen Narcos and Narcos
Mexico on Netflix?
Cooperator: No, I
don't watch that. Orense's
lawyer: Do you have a private
Instagram? Cooperator: Yes
Orense's
lawyer: You mention Caravajal,
Beltran - you can search them
in the internet, yes?
AUSA: Objection
Judge: Sustained
Orense's
lawyer: Have you exchanged
Internet links with the
government? Cooperator
Arvelaiz: Yes. Orense's
lawyer: You trafficked drugs
independently - how? Arvelaiz:
I dispatched the product.
Police helped me.
Orense's
lawyer: You used police to
steal from your grandmother?
Cooperator Arvelaiz: Yes. Cash
and gold.
Orense's
lawyer: Doesn't my client have
legitimate businesses in
Venezuela? Cooperator
Arvelaez: I'm not aware of
any.
Orense's lawyer:
Doesn't he have cattle on his
ranch? Cooperator Arvelaiz: Oh
yes, he does.
Orence's
lawyer: My client was involved
in oil too, right? Cooperator
Arvelaiz: Yes.
Orense's
lawyer: And asphalt, he
received a $6 million
settlement, right? Cooperator:
I don't know that.Orense's
lawyer: You can't prove that
my client tried to kill you,
can you? Cooperator Arvelaiz:
I can't.
Orense's
lawyer: When you left
Venezuela, you went to China?
Cooperator Arvelaiz: Yes
Orense's
lawyer: And you laundered
money in China, with Antonio
Gabran? Cooperator Arvelaiz:
Yes
Orense's
lawyer: You stole drugs from
dirty cops? Cooperator
Arvelaiz: No.
Orense's lawyer
is still crossing Arvelaiz:
Did you speak with AUSA
Gregorie about the expired
powdered milk, for which you
were linked to the death of
children? Arvelaiz: The AUSA
did ask me if people got sick,
I don't remember if it was
children
Orense's
lawyer: PDVSA, you were asked
if he was a contractor?
Arvelaiz: Yes.
Orense's lawyer:
On July 7, 2022 at 2:13 pm did
an agent ask you if were ever
in the room with Orense and
Arturo Mochomo and you said,
Rarely? Arvelaiz: Yes
Orense's
lawyer: In the Miami FDC
clinic did you show another
inmate a photo of your uncle,
Mr Orense?
Arvelaiz
(smirking) You can't take
property to the clinic. So, no
Orense's lawyer:
You tried to kill my client?
Arvelaiz: Cierto. With ten
men. Orense's lawyer: Didn't
you say 20? And did you try to
kill El Pollo or Pedro Luis
Martin? Arvelaiz: No. They
were more powerful.
Judge:
Redirect? AUSA: You were asked
about the shows Narcos and
Narcos Mexico on Netflix -
again have you seen them?
Arvelaiz: Trailers.
AUSA: Did
you attend a meeting with
Arturo Beltran, and his
brother El Mochomo? Arvelaiz:
Yes. Orense told me he was
serious [Prompting with 3500
material - so, judicial
documents?]
More on Substack
here
Inner City Press
will continue to cover the
trial.
The case is US v.
Azocar, 21-cr-379 (Broderick)
***
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