Nicolas Maduro and Wife Brought to New York for Drug-related Charges

Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his spouse, Cilia Flores, were transported to Stewart Airport, situated just north of New York City, following their capture during an audacious U.S. military operation.

They were apprehended at their residence in Caracas overnight, then moved via the USS Iwo Jima to face charges in New York connected to drug trafficking.

The U.S. has leveled serious allegations against President Maduro, charging him with involvement in a narco-terrorism conspiracy and importation of cocaine, among other offenses, as detailed in an indictment from the Southern District of New York. This indictment, unveiled by Attorney General Pam Bondi, also accuses him of possessing and conspiring to possess dangerous weapons.

"They are about to experience the consequences of U.S. laws on our own territory," Bondi declared regarding the ramifications Maduro and Flores will face.

These charges echo previous allegations aimed at Maduro and key figures within his administration.

The document, crafted by U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton, outlines a pattern of behavior spanning over 25 years, where Venezuelan officials misused their positions of power, leading to the corruption of legitimate institutions and facilitating the smuggling of substantial quantities of cocaine into the United States. It asserts that Maduro has played a pivotal role in this corruption.

Cilia Flores, reportedly complicit in these alleged criminal activities, purportedly orchestrated a meeting between a significant drug dealer and Nestor Reverol Torres, the head of Venezuela's National Anti-Drug Office, and accepted considerable bribes back in 2007.

Prosecutors claim the trafficker facilitated bribe payments of $100,000 per flight to Reverol Torres for cocaine shipments. Reverol Torres has faced charges from U.S. prosecutors in New York.

A separate indictment from 2020 details accusations that Maduro, along with top Venezuelan officials, conspired with the Colombian guerrilla group known as FARC to smuggle cocaine and weapons into the United States.

Maduro has consistently rejected these accusations.