Federal prosecutors say Venezuela’s longtime leader and his spouse will be brought to the United States to face sweeping narco-terrorism and weapons charges after their apprehension during a U.S. military strike.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The U.S. Department of Justice formally charged Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on Saturday, hours after President Donald Trump announced that both had been captured during what he described as a large-scale U.S. operation inside Venezuela.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said the couple was indicted in the Southern District of New York on a series of federal charges tied to drug trafficking and weapons offenses. According to Bondi, prosecutors charged Maduro with narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices targeting the United States.
Bondi said the indictments mark the culmination of years of federal investigations into Maduro’s alleged role in international drug trafficking networks. She stated that both Maduro and Flores will be transferred to U.S. custody to stand trial in American courts.
“They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts,” Bondi said in a statement issued Saturday. She credited President Trump for authorizing the operation that led to the arrests and praised U.S. military personnel for what she called a highly successful mission.
Trump earlier announced the capture on Saturday morning, describing the action as a coordinated strike that removed Maduro from power and placed him under U.S. control. The president said additional details about the operation would be released later.
Federal officials have long accused Maduro of using Venezuela’s state apparatus to facilitate cocaine trafficking into the United States while providing protection to transnational criminal organizations. Prior indictments against Maduro had been filed under seal in previous years, but Saturday’s announcement marked the first confirmation that he and his wife are in U.S. custody and will face prosecution.
The Justice Department did not immediately release a timeline for extradition or court proceedings but indicated that arraignments would occur once the defendants are transferred to New York.
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