President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro and his spouse Cilia Flores maintain fingers and pose for pictures after the swear-in ceremony at Palacio Federal Legislativo on January 10, 2025 in Caracas, Venezuela.
Jesus Vargas | Getty Photos Information | Getty Photos
A federal indictment charging Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, his spouse and 4 different folks with narco-terrorism conspiracy and different fees was unsealed and posted on-line by U.S. Legal professional Basic Pam Bondi on Saturday morning after the couple’s dramatic seize by American forces in their very own nation.
“For over 25 years, leaders of Venezuela have abused their positions of public belief and corrupted once-legitimate establishments to import tons of cocaine into america,” the indictment alleges.
The indictment was filed in U.S. District Court docket in Manhattan. Along with Maduro and his spouse, Cilia Flores, the indictment additionally fees Maduro’s son, Nicolas Ernesto Maduoro Guerra, Diosado Cabello Rondon, Ramon Rodriguez Chacin, and Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores. Learn the indictment right here.
“Nicolas Maduro Moros, the defendant, now sits atop a corrupt, illegitimate authorities that, for many years, has leveraged authorities energy to guard and promote criminality, together with drug trafficking,” the indictment stated.
“That drug trafficking has enriched and entrenched Venezuela’s political and army elite, together with Minister of the Inside, Justice and Peace Diosado Cabello Rondon, the defendant, and former Minister of the Inside and Justice Ramon Rodriguez Chacin, the defendant.”
Guerrero was recognized because the chief of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
Along with the narco-terrorism conspiracy cost, the indictment alleges different felony counts: cocaine importation conspiracy; possession of machine weapons and damaging units; and conspiracy to own machine weapons and damaging units.
Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, blasted the assault on Venezuela and its rationale
“If this motion had been constitutionally sound, the Legal professional Basic would not be tweeting that they’ve arrested the President of a sovereign nation and his spouse for possessing weapons in violation of a 1934 U.S. firearm legislation,” Massie wrote in a put up on the social media web site X.