Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, will face trial in the United States on charges including narco-terrorism and cocaine trafficking, US Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed on Saturday.
“They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts,” Bondi said on X, announcing the indictment lodged in the Southern District of New York.
The charges include “Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy,” conspiracy to import cocaine, and offenses related to machineguns.
The indictment against Maduro was lodged in 2020, while the indictment against his wife had not been previously known.
The announcement follows the capture of the Maduros by US military forces, with the operation carried out in coordination with US law enforcement.
President Donald Trump, speaking from his Mar-a-Lago residence, described the operation as: “The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country.”
“This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement,” Trump added, calling it “a brilliant operation” in a phone interview with The New York Times.
Trump’s administration in August had doubled a $50 million reward for information leading to Maduro’s capture, accusing him of leading the alleged “Cartel of the Suns” drug trafficking organization.
The operation coincided with US military strikes on Caracas, with reports that the elite Delta Force carried out the capture as bombs fell on the city.
Senator Marco Rubio said the US military action is complete.
He said, “No further action in Venezuela now that Maduro is in US custody.”
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau hailed the capture as a “new dawn” for Venezuela, writing on X:”The tyrant is gone. He will now — finally — face justice for his crimes.”
The operation comes just two days after Venezuela offered renewed cooperation on combating drug trafficking and illegal migration.
