Luis Chemaria Martinez was jailed in Venezuela in 2020 after a boat he was operating capsized, killing about two dozen people.
Posted by Behind the Bastards, Checked
- Sources
- 7 support
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 80%
Behind the BastardsOct 3, 2026
Multiple sources confirm that Luis Martínez, a local crime boss who was operating a boat that capsized in Venezuela in December 2020, was detained and jailed by Venezuelan authorities on human-trafficking charges.
What was said
… The one victim there's the most information about online is Luis Chemaria Martinez, who was identified by the Associated Press as a, quote unquote, "long-time local crime boss" that made his money mostly from smuggling people and drugs across borders. He had previously been jailed after a boat he was operating capsized in 2020, killing, quote, "about two dozen people," end quote, including several of his relatives. He was jailed in Venezuela. To be clear, some family members believe that Chemaria was one of two bodies that have washed up on the shores of Trinidad and Tobago. …
Behind the Bastards · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. AP reporting says Luis "Che" Martínez was jailed by Venezuelan authorities on human-trafficking charges after a boat he had operated capsized in December 2020, killing about two dozen people.[1][3][4][5][6]
Supports. Reuters reports that the vessel's owner, identified as 56-year-old Luis Martinez, was arrested after a shipwreck off Venezuela's eastern coast left at least 20 dead, with the chief prosecutor announcing the arrest.[2]
Supports. El País reports that Luis Martínez, the man who usually piloted the boat that sank, was the only person detained in the case, and that prosecutor Tarek William Saab charged him with human trafficking.[7]
Context. Source tolls differ: Reuters says at least 20 dead, AP says about two dozen, and El País counts 32 people buried in Güiria. The claim's figure matches the AP's account, and the gap is not large enough to contradict it.[1][2][7]
Context. The AP could not determine the outcome of the criminal case, and reports that Martínez was later released from custody. The claim concerns the jailing itself, so this does not contradict it.[1]
Sources
7 sources: 2 fact-checkers, 1 tier 2, 4 not rated
- 1Trump accused boat crews of being narco-terrorists. The ...apnews.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports, context
- 2Venezuela says at least 20 dead in shipwreck, one person detainedreuters.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports, context
- 3Trump says boat crews are narco-terrorists. The truth is ...npr.org · tier 2 · cited for: supports
- 4Called narco-terrorists by Trump administration, men 'executed' in Venezuela are mourned by loved ones | CBC Newscbc.ca · not rated · cited for: supports
- 5Trump says boat crews are narco-terrorists. The truth is ... - VPM Newsvpm.org · not rated · cited for: supports
- 6Trump accused Venezuelan boat crews of narco-terrorism. Here's the truththe-independent.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 7Los 32 ahogados de Güiria que evidencian el drama venezolanoelpais.com · not rated · cited for: supports, context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
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