US Indicts Maduro For Narco-Terrorism Hours After His Capture In Venezuela

Caracas: Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been formally indicted on multiple serious federal charges in the United States and are expected to face trial on American soil, US authorities confirmed on Saturday.

US Attorney General Pamela Bondi announced that both Maduro and Flores were indicted in the Southern District of New York on a sweeping set of criminal counts. According to Bondi, the charges include narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy into the United States, possession and conspiracy to possess machineguns and destructive devices in connection with those drug offenses. 

“These indictments reflect a long-standing investigation into alleged criminal activity linking Maduro and his associates to international drug trafficking and terrorism-related operations,” Bondi said. She added that the couple will “soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts.”

The narco-terrorism conspiracy charge is one of the most serious in federal law and is typically used when drug trafficking intersects with the support of designated terrorist groups or involves violent criminal networks. US prosecutors allege Maduro’s regime worked with foreign criminal and terrorist organisations to flood the US with cocaine and other illicit drugs and to facilitate weaponry and logistical support in furtherance of these schemes. 

Also included are charges alleging involvement in the importation of cocaine into the US, a federal offense that carries severe penalties, as well as counts involving machineguns and destructive devices, which suggest prosecutors believe weapons were used or possessed in connection with these broader conspiracies.

Maduro’s Capture and Legal Proceedings

Maduro and Flores were reportedly captured during a large-scale US military operation in Venezuela’s capital earlier Saturday, which followed years of escalating tensions between Washington and Caracas. US officials, including Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, said Maduro has been removed from power and will now be tried or otherwise punished under US law, according to US statements.

International and regional responses have been sharply divided, with Venezuelan authorities demanding “proof of life” and condemning the US action as a violation of sovereignty, while some US policymakers frame the development as a breakthrough in confronting transnational crime and narcotics trafficking. 

Legal experts say the next step will be formal arraignment in a US federal courthouse, where prosecutors will present the indictment and Maduro and Flores will be required to enter pleas. The broad span of charges, from narco-terrorism to weapons offenses, means that if convicted, the couple could face decades in prison under US law, though the legal and diplomatic fallout is expected to be complex and contentious.

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