US charges Maduro with narco-terrorism, cocaine trafficking

Washington: Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro arrived in New York City late Saturday to face US criminal charges after federal prosecutors unsealed a sweeping indictment accusing him of leading a long-running narco-terrorism and cocaine trafficking conspiracy.

The indictment was made public by US Attorney General Pam Bondi and filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York. Prosecutors allege Maduro used state power to move massive quantities of cocaine toward the United States over more than two decades.

Maduro is charged with narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, firearms offenses and related crimes. The conduct is alleged to have begun around 1999 and continued through 2025.

According to the court filing, Maduro “sits atop a corrupt, illegitimate government” that relied on military, intelligence and law enforcement institutions to protect drug trafficking routes. Prosecutors say thousands of tons of cocaine were shipped from Venezuela through the Caribbean, Central America and Mexico.

The indictment names several co-defendants, including Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores de Maduro, and his son, Nicolas Ernesto Maduro Guerra. Senior Venezuelan officials are also charged, including Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello Rondón and former Interior Minister Ramon Rodriguez Chacín.

Prosecutors allege the network partnered with violent criminal and militant groups, including Colombia’s FARC and ELN guerrillas, Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel and Zetas, and the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.

The court document details alleged acts such as using Venezuelan diplomatic passports to shield traffickers, dispatching multi-ton cocaine shipments by air and sea, and providing armed protection for drug movements. It also alleges kidnappings, bribes and violence were used to secure trafficking routes.

Maduro and his co-defendants are also accused of possessing machine guns and destructive devices in furtherance of the drug conspiracy. Prosecutors say the weapons were used to enforce control and protect shipments.

If convicted, the charges carry potential life sentences. The US government is seeking forfeiture of assets tied to the alleged crimes, including drug proceeds and property used to facilitate trafficking.

Maduro is expected to appear before a federal judge in Manhattan, where prosecutors are likely to seek his continued detention pending trial.

The United States has long accused Maduro of corruption and drug trafficking and does not recognize him as Venezuela’s legitimate president following disputed elections and international condemnation of his rule.

IANS