In January 2026, after United States forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, social media posts (archived here, here and here) claimed that former Venezuelan intelligence chief Hugo Carvajal released a list of U.S. politicians allegedly receiving millions of dollars in kickbacks from Maduro's government and drug traffickers.
A federal indictment accuses Maduro of narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy and weapons offenses.
According to the social media posts, senators on the so-called "Venezuela list" took money in exchange for using their positions and influence to "undermine President [Donald] Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth's ongoing war" against Venezuelan "narcoterrorists."
The supposed list included dozens of senators' names, including Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, Republicans Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Independent Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Democratic Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, among others.
Multiple Snopes readers emailed us and searched our website to verify the rumors.
We found no evidence Carvajal had released such a list implicating U.S. senators or other federal lawmakers.
The claim appeared to stem from a December 2025 X post (archived) by user Joshua Hall, who did not provide any documentation to support it. Snopes was unable to reach Hall for comment.
Carvajal, a former Venezuelan general, pleaded guilty in June 2025 to narco-terrorism, weapons and drug trafficking charges in a U.S. court. He reportedly sent a letter from prison to Trump and the American public alleging that the Venezuelan government targeted and sought to destabilize the United States.
Robert Feitel, Carvajal's attorney, is said to have shared the Dec. 2 letter exclusively with the Dallas Express, a conservative news outlet, according to a report it published on Dec. 3 (archived).
The Miami Herald also reported on the purported letter (archived).
While the letter alleges that "U.S. diplomats and CIA officers were paid to assist [former Venezuelan President Hugo] Chávez and Maduro in remaining in power," it does not name specific politicians or include the "Venezuela list" referenced in social media posts.
Snopes was unable to independently confirm the letter's existence. We reached out to Feitel for a copy of the letter and for comment about the alleged list naming various politicians, but had not received a response by the time of publication.
Allegations in purported letter
In the opening paragraph of his purported letter, Carvajal, who was director of Venezuela's military intelligence under Chávez and Maduro, allegedly said he hopes to "atone" by providing information that he claims will help the U.S. "protect itself from the dangers" he witnessed while working for the Venezuelan government.
Below is a summary of Carvajal's allegations in the purported letter, none of which Snopes had independently verified.
Narco-terrorism
Carvajal reportedly alleged that the Venezuelan government became a "criminal organization" under Chávez and that Maduro and other "senior regime officials" now run the so-called Cartel of the Suns, which he claims is used to "weaponize drugs" against the U.S. He allegedly wrote that drug trafficking was a deliberate policy aided by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the National Liberation Army in Colombia, Cuban operatives and Hezbollah.
The U.S. government has labeled the Cartel of the Suns, allegedly led by Maduro and other high-ranking officials, a foreign terrorist organization.
Gang activity
Carvajal reportedly claimed Venezuelan leaders organized and weaponized criminal gangs, including the group known as Tren de Aragua, to protect the government. During his second presidential term, Trump has targeted alleged members of the gang for deportations.
According to Carvajal's alleged account, some of these operative were sent abroad, including into the U.S., where they were allegedly instructed to fund their operations through committing violent crimes.
Espionage
Carvajal reportedly alleged that Russia proposed a plan to intercept U.S. communications by tapping "submarine and internet cables."
He also claimed the Venezuelan government has sent spies into the U.S. for two decades, some of whom are "disguised as members of the Venezuelan opposition." Cuba has allegedly conducted similar operations, according to his letter. "U.S. diplomats and CIA officers were paid to assist Chávez and Maduro in remaining in power. These Americans acted as spies for Cuba and Venezuela, and some remain active to this day," Carvajal allegedly wrote.
Contrary to claims circulating online, Carvajal didn't name any specific politicians or other U.S. officials in the purported letter.
Support for Trump's policies
Throughout the purported letter, Carvajal allegedly expressed support for Trump's policies toward Venezuela, calling them both "correct" and "absolutely necessary to the United States' national security." He also stated he was willing to provide additional information to the U.S. government.