In the most recent report on “Operation Lightning” in the Western state of Zulia, Venezuela’s Minister of People’s Power for Internal Relations, Justice and Peace, Diosdado Cabello, said that millions of tons of high-purity cocaine, linked with the far-right politicians groups operating in the country, were seized.

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Cabello, claimed to have dismantled a drug trafficking operation linked to plans to destabilize the country. This operation would involve the ultra-right leader María Corina Machado, who allegedly met with businessman José Enrique Rincón in Colombia to coordinate actions, thus connecting destabilization, conspiracy, terrorism, drug trafficking and corruption with government sectors in Zulia.

“We have perhaps given the hardest blow that has been given in recent times to the drug gangs; President Nicolás Maduro announced it, we have endorsed it in this way, according to his instructions, that this year we are going against all terrorist, destabilizing, conspiring, drug-trafficking gangs operating across the country,” Cabello said.

The Minister announced that six mayors of Zulia were arrested for their ties to the drug trade and on that he said that “there is no reason for a politician to end up linked to drug trafficking groups,” much less organically to “to end the Constitution of Venezuela, Constitution of the Venezuelans and Venezuelan women that we all voted for.”

Operation Lightning has allowed the seizure of more than nine tons of cocaine linked to the Venezuelan far-right. The transportation of these narcotics was carried out through fake boats, produced by shipyards located in the mangroves on the shores of Lake Maracaibo.

“We found the shipyards where they made this and we found something very curious (…) a boat where they pretend it is from the Navy. Because that is where the operation against Venezuela comes from. This is a boat that is not from the Navy, it is a false positive,” Cabello denounced.

Diosdado Cabello accused Rafael Ramírez of corruption and of using the Maracaibo City Hall as a fiefdom, involving him in plans for destabilization and drug trafficking alongside Rincón. He also stated that the Santa Barbara City Hall served as a connection point for arms smuggling and drug trafficking in the southern part of the lake.

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