Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been indicted in the United States on charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy and cocaine importation conspiracy, according to a newly unsealed Justice Department indictment. Maduro was captured in a military operation in Venezuela on Saturday and is now in US custody, facing trial in Manhattan federal court.
The indictment accuses Maduro of running a “corrupt, illegitimate government” fuelled by a drug-trafficking operation that flooded the US with thousands of tons of cocaine. It alleges he partnered with violent cartels such as the Sinaloa cartel and Tren de Aragua gang, providing law enforcement cover and logistical support in exchange for profits. By 2020, up to 250 tons of cocaine were trafficked through Venezuela annually, the indictment claims.
Maduro faces four counts: narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices. His wife is also charged, along with his son and three others. The indictment adds that Maduro and his wife ordered kidnappings, beatings and murders against those who undermined their drug operation, including the killing of a local drug boss in Caracas.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement that Maduro and his wife “will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts”. A video posted by the White House showed Maduro being escorted by DEA agents in New York. He is expected to be held at a federal jail in Brooklyn pending trial.
