A former bodyguard to the head of Venezuela’s National Assembly, Diosdado Cabello, defected to the U.S. and has accused the government leader of being involved in drug-trafficking operations in the country. The Venezuelan government denies the allegations.

Leamsy Salazar, alleged former bodyguard for the late Hugo Chavez and former head of security for Cabello, defected to the U.S. to testify against Cabello in a New York federal court, according to El Nuevo Herald. In his testimony, Salazar claims Cabello has links to the drug-trafficking group Cartel de los Soles.

Salazar’s position within the Maduro administration and the chavista movement make his allegations the most damning, a source close to the investigation told El Nuevo Herald on condition of anonymity. He is a protected witness and is collaborating with the DEA in their years-long investigation into the Venezuelan government’s relationship with drug cartels. It is believed Cartel de los Soles has various high-ranking military officers in its pockets.

EFE reports Cabello admitted Salazar was part of his security detail but denies Salazar was ever head of his security, as alleged by El Nuevo Herald and the Spanish news agency ABC.

Cabello explained Salazar ceased being in his security detail back in June because Cabello was suspicious of his activity.

"He (Salazar) refused to face me and I asked for him to be replaced and for him to take some courses; he didn’t want to continue studying and deserted, I think in December, to hand his dignity to U.S. imperialism," Cabello told Colombia’s Blu Radio.

Both Cabello and President Nicolas Maduro have denied the allegations against Cabello, considered to be the second most powerful man in the country. According to the Miami Herald, Venezuela’s ruling socialist PSUV has denounced Salazar.

“He has appeared in the United States as a protected witness to defame, insult and publicly humiliate the president of the National Assembly and, through him, the people of Venezuela and the Bolivarian revolution,” deputy Pedro Carreño said.

Maduro expressed his support and denounced Salazar’s actions.

“Whoever betrays the revolution is facing an inferno of solitude, failure, isolation and repudiation,” he said. He also began a social media campaign with the hashtag #ApoyoTotalADiosdado (total support for Diosdado). He, in turn, has expressed his gratitutde for the support on Twitter.

He wrote the attacks against him give him more strength, and he thanks the Venezuelan people for their show of solidarity.

However, according Jeremy McDermott of InsightCrime in the Americas, whom the Miami Herald interviewed, Cabello is head of the chavista military faction, and it is believed Cartel de los Soles has a lot of military officers within its ranks.

Back in 2008 the U.S. Treasury sanctioned three top officials -- Hugo Carvajal, Henry de Jesus Rangel and Ramon Rodriguez Chacin —within the Venezuelan government, accusing the men of using their positions to facilitate drug-trafficking into Colombia and collaboration with FARC. Since then Rangel has been promoted to defense minister.

If the allegations against Cabello are true, it could prove that drug cartels have infiltrated the top ranks of the Venezuelan government.

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