Tuesday evening, during a operation coordinated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), two men close to the President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro, were arrested at the descent of their private plane to Port-au-Prince.

One of the two men, Efrain Antonio Campos Flores said to be the son of the First Lady Cilia Flores and the son in law of the Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, while the other identified as Francisco Flores de Freites, said to be the nephew of the First Lady.

The two men were arrested while preparing to conclude a transaction of 800 kg of cocaine for the US market, with a supposed buyer, who was in reality an informant infiltrated agent of American services.

Michael Vigil, a former head of international operations for the DEA, said that "if we have given them money, they sent drugs." During his infiltration mission the American informant was able to film some meetings related to this transaction.

At present we do not officially know if the two men are still in Haiti or if they will be transferred to the United States. Wednesday Preet Bharara a spokesman for the prosecutor in Manhattan, declined to comment. However, another source familiar with the matter, who requested anonymity, said that the two men will be instructed with charges this Thursday in the South District Federal Court in New York.

The Haitian authorities who maintain excellent relations with Venezuela, has not provided any information on the arrests.

Recall that this is not the first time since the beginning of the year, the DEA coordinate operations in Haiti, include among others in April, a joint operation who had led to the discovery and seizure of 77 kg of cocaine and 10 kg of heroin on the ship "MV Manzanares", Panamanian flag. https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-13617-haiti-justice-major-drug-seizure.html which led to the arrest of 16 people including 3 Haitian https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-13885-icihaiti-justice-3-haitian-and-13-crew-members-of-the-mv-manzanares-arrested.html . The following month another joint anti-drug operation of the Haitian authorities and the DEA had in Haiti led to the arrest of Fabio Lobo Lobo, son of former President of Honduras (2010-2014) Porfirio Lobo Sosa https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-13950-haiti-justice-arrest-in-haiti-of-the-son-of-former-president-porfirio-lobo-sosa-update-5-20-pm.html .

S/ TB/ HaitiLibre