Maduro, wife charged with narco-terrorism in New York

By Newsflash Reporter and Agencies

US Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Saturday that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have both been formally charged with narco-terrorism following U.S. military operations inside Venezuela.

Bondi’s announcement followed President Donald Trump’s declaration that Maduro and Flores had been captured. In the immediate aftermath of the U.S. strike, Maduro’s location remained uncertain, with Venezuelan authorities demanding evidence that he was still alive. President Trump is scheduled to address the nation at 11 a.m.

According to Bondi, Maduro will face multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, possession of machineguns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machineguns and destructive devices targeting the United States. She said both Maduro and Flores were indicted in the Southern District of New York.

“They will soon face the full force of American justice on American soil, in American courts,” Bondi said in a statement. She thanked President Trump “for having the courage to demand accountability on behalf of the American people” and praised U.S. military personnel for carrying out what she described as an “incredible and highly successful mission” to apprehend the two alleged international narcotics traffickers.

Earlier charges and allegations

Maduro was previously indicted in 2020 under the Trump administration, when prosecutors charged him and 14 others with narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, and firearms offenses. Flores was not included in that earlier indictment.

The 2020 case accused Maduro of working in coordination with FARC, the Colombian guerrilla group, and identified him as a leader of the so-called Cartel de los Soles. U.S. authorities have described the group as a Venezuelan drug trafficking network allegedly run by senior military officials.

The cartel’s name references the sun insignia worn on Venezuelan military uniforms.

That earlier indictment was overseen by Emil Bove, who was later nominated by Trump for a senior Justice Department post and has since been confirmed as a federal appeals court judge. Bove also played a prominent role last year in preparations to transfer Venezuelans accused of gang activity to prisons in El Salvador. A DOJ whistleblower later alleged that Bove suggested the administration might need to tell courts “f— you” over legal challenges related to those transfers.

Political reaction in Washington

Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, the Republican chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, also said Maduro was now in U.S. custody and praised the Trump administration’s actions.

“Nicolas Maduro wasn’t just an illegitimate dictator; he also operated a massive drug-trafficking enterprise,” Cotton said. “That’s why he was indicted in U.S. court nearly six years ago for drug trafficking and narco-terrorism.”

Cotton said he had spoken with Secretary of State Marco Rubio about the operation. Rubio previously served as the top Republican on the Intelligence Committee and represented Florida in the Senate.

“I applaud President Trump, our courageous troops, and our law enforcement officers for this extraordinary operation,” Cotton said. He added that Venezuela’s interim leadership now faces a choice between continuing drug trafficking and cooperation with adversaries such as Iran and Cuba, or “acting like a normal nation and returning to the civilized world.”

For months, the Trump administration has steadily intensified pressure on the Maduro government, including targeting vessels in the Caribbean that U.S. officials say were being used to transport drugs bound for the United States.