By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon
SDNY COURTHOUSE, Jan 18 – Cliver Antonio Alcala Cordones is charged as part of a wide indictment of the Venezuelan "Cartel de Los Coles" and Colombia's FARC. Also charged: El Pollo, due in New York on July 20, 2023, see below.
On June 7, 2021 U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein held a proceeding. Inner City Press covered it.
The indictment cites Nicolas Maduro, and said he "coordinated foreign affairs with Honduras and other countries to facilitate large-scale drug trafficking."
Jump cut to November 30, 2022, when not only the UN's Antonio Guterres but now the Administration in Washington, eager for oil, has taken a different view of Maduro. But the case goes forward - in a pre-trial proceeding attended by Inner City Press, the US asked for a July 2023 trial date and got one, July 10 - threadette:
OK - now at Venezuela narco case of US v. Carvajal-Barrios, et al., proceeding delayed for some by lack of interpreter....
Asst US Attorney says wants July trial date for today's defendant Cliver Antonio Alcala Cordones - but DOJ is still providing discovery from another case.
Judge says July 10 trial, "no adjournments."
Then, guilty plea- of Cliver Cordonez on June 29.
On January 8, 2023 Cliver's lawyer wrote it noting that Cliver only pled to providing aid to the FARC when he was a general. He asked for 72 months as a sentence.
On January 15, MLK Day, the US Attorney's Office wrote in asking for 360 months: 30 years.
On January 18, the sentencing was scheduled but did not happen. Rather, a fact-finding Fatico hearing was set: "Status Conference as to Cliver Antonio Alcala Cordones held on 1/18/2024. Sentencing began... Sentencing is adjourned; Fatico hearing is scheduled for 2/27/24- 2/28/24 at 10:00am."
In the hall it was said Cliver must be disappointed that drugs are still in the case, at least at sentencing.
The case is US v. Carvajal Barrios, et al., 11-cr-205 (Hellerstein)
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