Venezuelan Spymaster Hugo Carvajal Cooperating With DOJ as Key Witness in Maduro Prosecution

Analysis
Prosecutors benefit from leaving Carvajal unsentenced as the torture count and the June 14, 2027 trial approach, since a pending sentence preserves leverage over his testimony. Hugo Carvajal is unlikely to be sentenced, or to have a new sentencing date publicly set, by December 31, 2026. We hold this with high confidence because reporting consistently shows three postponements with no date and no filed indicator of a schedule change. The Justice Department has not confirmed a cooperation agreement, so his role in the revised indictment rests on inference from public filings and the National Security News analysis of court documents, which AP's independent wire coverage supports on the indictment and hearing. A sentencing date would more plausibly follow than precede the completion of his testimonial obligations. Still, a court could set a date soon if his cooperation is judged complete or Judge Hellerstein tires of the delay, and prosecutors could then lock in his testimony through a formal agreement. A set date would let defense counsel and Venezuelan officials weighing pleas read cooperation as complete and recalculate their exposure.