Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello during a press conference on Tuesday, January 13, 2026. Photo: Con el Mazo Dando.
On Monday, Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello reported that in the first few days of 2026, a total of 7,148 kilograms of drugs have been seized. The most significant blow was the seizure of 6,850.41 kilograms in an operation carried out on January 5 in the Orinoco River basin in Bolívar state.
The top official emphasized that this achievement is the result of intelligence work and the combined efforts of the community, the military, and the police to combat drug-trafficking criminal networks. The shipment consisted of 14,199 packages of marijuana (6,758.66 kg) and 81 packages of cocaine (91.75 kg).
The minister noted that this shipment represents one of the biggest blows to the logistical networks that attempt to use Venezuelan waterways for drug trafficking.
Duquesa, a K-9 (a police dog) belonging to the GNB (Bolivarian National Guard), greatly helped the officers find the drug caches, Cabello added.
This seizure is in addition to two operations carried out in the western part of the country—specifically in Catatumbo, in Binational Peace Zone Number 1 bordering Colombia. “There, three people were arrested with 75 packages containing 39 kilograms and 450 grams of marijuana.”
In another operation in Zulia state, three more people were arrested with over 50 packages and 50 kg of marijuana. “All of this adds up,” Cabello said.
Nearly 70 tons seized in 2025
“Last year, we achieved a record seizure, the largest ever, followed the next year by a bust with the DEA here in Venezuela of almost 70 tons of drugs in various operations,” he stated during a press conference. He revealed that one of the operational milestones of 2025 was the dismantling of logistical corridors in Lake Maracaibo. Authorities managed to neutralize a route that was intended to be used to move drugs from the Catatumbo region of Colombia to the Caribbean.
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As a result of these procedures, citizens linked to these networks were arrested, including former police, military, and judicial officials who facilitated the transit of narcotics.
Cabello concluded that the success of the operations lies in the coordination of the security chiefs and the information provided by the organized people to guarantee national peace.
(Alba Ciudad) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SL
