Jay Clayton, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York | Department of Justice
Carlos Orense Azocar, a Venezuelan national described as a major cocaine trafficker with political connections, has been sentenced to life plus 30 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick. The sentencing follows his conviction in December 2023 on charges of conspiring to import cocaine into the United States and related weapons offenses.
According to prosecutors, Orense Azocar led a drug trafficking organization that, beginning around 2003, distributed large quantities of cocaine destined for the United States. He oversaw the transport and distribution of shipments ranging from hundreds to thousands of kilograms from Venezuela to locations including Mexico and the Dominican Republic, using both air and maritime routes.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton stated, “Carlos Orense Azocar is one of the most prolific cocaine traffickers ever sentenced in this courthouse, responsible for the distribution of hundreds of tons of cocaine to the United States. Orense Azocar and his co-conspirators, including high-ranking government and military officials, inflicted incalculable damage on this community. Alongside our partners at the Bilateral Investigations Unit of the DEA’s Special Operations Division, we are committed to ending the exploitation of the American people by drug cartels and the governments who enable them.”
DEA Administrator Terrance C. Cole commented on Orense Azocar’s operations: “Carlos Orense Azocar was a criminal kingpin who built an empire on deception, fraud, and bribery. Orense Azocar’s close ties to the Venezuelan government provided resources to help him evade law enforcement and move massive shipments of cocaine across the Western Hemisphere. Today's sentence sends a clear message: DEA will relentlessly pursue and hold international drug traffickers accountable, no matter how far they run or how powerful they believe themselves to be.”
Court documents reveal that Orense Azocar operated ranches in Venezuela where he stored cocaine in underground tanks along with large caches of weapons and ammunition. These locations featured clandestine landing strips used for dispatching aircraft loaded with drugs. He also utilized speedboats departing from Venezuela’s coastline for deliveries throughout the Caribbean.
Orense Azocar maintained his operations through bribes paid to high-ranking Venezuelan officials—including military generals, police commissioners, and intelligence officers—which allowed him access to military-grade weaponry and protection from raids or arrest. He also collaborated with armed guerrilla groups in Colombia and Venezuela for sourcing drugs and ensuring safe passage for shipments.
To secure his organization’s activities, Orense Azocar employed heavily armed security teams equipped with automatic rifles, submachine guns modified handguns capable of automatic fire, armored vehicles, and even a mounted .50-caliber machine gun.
The investigation involved several agencies within the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), including its Special Operations Division Bilateral Investigations Unit as well as offices in Rome and Miami. The SDNY Digital Forensics Unit also contributed technical support. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs coordinated efforts leading to Orense Azocar's arrest in Italy in June 2022 before he was extradited to face trial in New York.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaylan E. Lasky, Michael D. Lockard, and Kevin T. Sullivan prosecuted the case as part of the National Security & International Narcotics Unit.
