NEW YORK: Nicolas Maduro, the president of Venezuela captured in a US military operation and transferred to New York, is facing criminal charges in Manhattan, where federal prosecutors have targeted him for years.
US prosecutors accuse him of leading a drug-trafficking conspiracy that flooded the United States with cocaine and relied on violence, corruption and abuse of state power.
Below is an explainer of the charges, the allegations and what comes next, based on court documents and statements from US authorities.
What is Maduro accused of?
According to a newly unsealed indictment filed in Manhattan federal court, Maduro and senior figures in his government abused their positions for more than 25 years to turn Venezuela into a hub for international drug trafficking.
US prosecutors allege that Maduro partnered with “some of the most violent and prolific drug traffickers and narco-terrorists in the world” to enable the shipment of thousands of tonnes of cocaine into the United States.
The indictment says powerful criminal groups, including Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel and Venezuela-based Tren de Aragua, worked with officials protected by the Venezuelan state.
In return, profits were funnelled to senior figures, including Maduro and members of his family, US authorities allege.
Specific charges against Maduro
Maduro is charged with four federal offences:
- Narco-terrorism conspiracy
- Cocaine importation conspiracy
- Possession of machine guns and destructive devices
- Conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices
The charges were brought by the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, which also indicted Maduro on the same four counts in 2020 during Donald Trump’s first presidency.
The updated indictment, unsealed on Saturday, adds new details and expands the list of defendants.
Who else is charged?
Maduro is charged alongside his wife, Cilia Flores, their son and three other co-defendants.
Prosecutors allege Flores ordered kidnappings, beatings and murders against individuals who owed drug money or threatened the operation. The indictment includes the killing of a local drug boss in Caracas.
Flores is also accused of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in 2007 to arrange a meeting between a major drug trafficker and the head of Venezuela’s National Anti-Drug Office.
In return, the trafficker allegedly paid regular bribes to ensure safe passage for cocaine flights, with some of the money going to Flores.
How did the alleged drug network operate?
US authorities allege that Maduro and his allies provided “law enforcement cover and logistical support” to traffickers moving drugs across the region.
By 2020, as much as 250 tonnes of cocaine were allegedly being trafficked through Venezuela each year, the indictment says.
Drugs were moved using fishing boats, speedboats, container ships and aircraft flying from clandestine airstrips.
The indictment also alleges that Maduro facilitated the sale of Venezuelan diplomatic passports to traffickers and allowed flights under diplomatic cover to move drug proceeds from Mexico to Venezuela.
What happens next in court?
Maduro is expected to make an initial court appearance in Manhattan, where a judge will formally inform him of the charges and ensure he has legal representation.
The case is expected to be overseen by US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who was assigned the 2020 case against Maduro. Prosecutors could also seek a plea agreement.
Maduro is expected to be held in federal custody in New York while the case proceeds.
Legal experts say Maduro is likely to argue that he is immune from prosecution as a foreign head of state.
However, US courts rejected a similar argument by Panama’s former leader Manuel Noriega after his capture by US forces in 1989.
Judges ruled that Noriega was not entitled to immunity, setting a precedent that could undermine Maduro’s case.
Maduro could also argue that the charges are politically motivated, selectively prosecuted or too old to pursue.
Federal conspiracy charges generally carry a five-year statute of limitations, though prosecutors argue the alleged conduct continued well beyond that period.
How has Washington justified the arrest?
US officials have described the operation that captured Maduro as a law enforcement action carried out at the request of the Department of Justice.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Maduro was “a fugitive of American justice” with a $50 million reward on his head. He said the operation showed that when the US president commits to action, “he means it”.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a post on X that Maduro and his wife would face “the full wrath of American justice”.
