The United States Department of Justice says it would charge Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro with narco-terrorism, alleging he led a cocaine trafficking scheme.
U.S. authorities state that Maduro was transported to the United States and is now being detained in the New York area, where he is expected to face long-standing federal charges related to narcotics trafficking, narco-terrorism, and corruption.
GLOBAL TRACKER learned that these charges stem from indictments filed several years ago in U.S. courts but had never before been enforced due to Maduro’s position as a sitting head of state.
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American officials describe Maduro as alive, under arrest, and in secure custody, though they have released limited visual or documentary evidence.
His legal status and the timeline for court proceedings remain unclear.
According to U.S. prosecutors in the Southern District of New York, Maduro and Flores are accused of leading and benefiting from a criminal enterprise that allegedly used Venezuelan state institutions to facilitate the production and shipment of massive quantities of cocaine destined for the United States.
The indictment claims the activity spanned many years, including periods when Maduro held senior government posts and later the presidency.
Prosecutors allege that Maduro and his co-defendants knowingly partnered with violent armed groups and criminal organizations including Colombia’s FARC and major drug cartels to traffic cocaine while using intimidation, violence, and weapons to protect the operation.
The indictment claims these alliances were designed not only to enrich those involved but also to “flood the United States with cocaine”, using drugs as both a source of revenue and a political weapon.
In addition to narco-terrorism, Maduro and Flores face charges of conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States, with prosecutors alleging the movement of hundreds of tons of the drug via air routes, maritime corridors, and regional trafficking networks.
Meanwhile, in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, the federal government rejected the U.S. account, denouncing the operation as an illegal act of foreign aggression.
Officials have demanded proof of life and accused Washington of violating international law by detaining a sitting president.
Amid the uncertainty, Venezuela’s Supreme Court announced that Vice President Delcy Rodríguez would assume the role of interim president, citing the need to maintain continuity of government.