A US Justice Department indictment has revealed fresh charges against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in connection with their alleged involvement in a massive cocaine trafficking operation. The indictment, which was unsealed on Saturday, accuses the pair of running a "corrupt, illegitimate government" fueled by an extensive drug-trafficking network that funneled thousands of tons of cocaine into the US.
Maduro and his family are facing four counts, including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices. The charges are identical to those brought against Maduro in a previous 2020 indictment, but this new filing adds charges against his wife.
According to the indictment, Maduro partnered with violent and prolific drug traffickers to allow for the shipment of thousands of tons of cocaine into the US. Powerful organizations like the Sinaloa cartel and Tren de Aragua gang worked directly with the Venezuelan government, sending profits to high-ranking officials in exchange for protection and support.
Maduro allegedly allowed "cocaine-fueled corruption" to flourish for his own benefit and that of his family members, providing law enforcement cover and logistical support to cartels moving drugs throughout the region. Authorities estimate that up to 250 tons of cocaine were trafficked through Venezuela annually by 2020.
The indictment also accuses Maduro's wife of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for arranging a meeting with a large-scale drug trafficker, who then agreed to pay monthly bribes to Venezuelan officials. The indictment claims that some of this money went directly to Maduro's wife.
The capture of Maduro and his wife was carried out by the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and other law enforcement agencies in a stunning military operation early on Saturday. The pair are currently being held at a federal jail in Brooklyn, awaiting their first appearance in Manhattan court.
US officials have hailed the raid as a major success for American justice, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio stating that the operation was carried out "at the request of the Justice Department". The indictment marks another significant development in the ongoing saga surrounding Maduro's alleged involvement in international crime.
Maduro and his family are facing four counts, including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices. The charges are identical to those brought against Maduro in a previous 2020 indictment, but this new filing adds charges against his wife.
According to the indictment, Maduro partnered with violent and prolific drug traffickers to allow for the shipment of thousands of tons of cocaine into the US. Powerful organizations like the Sinaloa cartel and Tren de Aragua gang worked directly with the Venezuelan government, sending profits to high-ranking officials in exchange for protection and support.
Maduro allegedly allowed "cocaine-fueled corruption" to flourish for his own benefit and that of his family members, providing law enforcement cover and logistical support to cartels moving drugs throughout the region. Authorities estimate that up to 250 tons of cocaine were trafficked through Venezuela annually by 2020.
The indictment also accuses Maduro's wife of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for arranging a meeting with a large-scale drug trafficker, who then agreed to pay monthly bribes to Venezuelan officials. The indictment claims that some of this money went directly to Maduro's wife.
The capture of Maduro and his wife was carried out by the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and other law enforcement agencies in a stunning military operation early on Saturday. The pair are currently being held at a federal jail in Brooklyn, awaiting their first appearance in Manhattan court.
US officials have hailed the raid as a major success for American justice, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio stating that the operation was carried out "at the request of the Justice Department". The indictment marks another significant development in the ongoing saga surrounding Maduro's alleged involvement in international crime.
I'm still trying to wrap my head around this - cocaine trafficking on a massive scale? Like, thousands of tons a year? It's mind-boggling... and what's with the Sinaloa cartel being involved? Didn't they get shut down years ago? 
And Maduro's wife getting paid off by a drug lord for arranging meetings? That's just crazy... I mean, I knew he was corrupt, but this is on another level. It's like, how can you not see it coming when all these signs are there? 
I guess that's what happens when corruption and crime get embedded in the system. Anyway, gotta admit, it's good to see justice being served... even if it's a bit late for some people 
This is insane! I mean, who knew that Venezuela was like a huge hub for cocaine trafficking? It's wild to think that Nicolás Maduro and his wife were right at the center of it all. And can you believe how corrupt they're accused of being? Like, thousands of tons of cocaine flowing into the US every year... it's a whole other level of crazy.
and it's wild that no one caught on sooner! The DEA should've done their homework before letting him get away with all this stuff for so long.
250 tons alone sounds like a lot! But, you know, the US justice system is pretty solid, so if they're saying Maduro and his wife are involved... I'm not sure how we can trust anyone who's profiting from that kind of thing 
. Like, we're talking about thousands of tons of cocaine being trafficked through Venezuela every year, and it's all connected to this one family, right? It's crazy how corrupt they are 
. But we need to keep pushing for more accountability from our leaders, you know? Can't let them think they can just hide behind corruption and violence 
.
. The fact that Cilia Flores was accepted bribes in exchange for arranging meetings with big-time drug traffickers is just disgusting 
. And Maduro just using his power to funnel thousands of tons of cocaine into the US? That's just mind-boggling 
. It's high time for Venezuela to take responsibility for their own corruption too, can't just blame it all on one person 
.
. This whole operation just reeks of over-hyped theatrics to me 
i feel so bad for the innocent ppl affected by the coke trafficking 
it's like, how far down does corruption go? 
i'm not surprised tho 
Maduro and his fam have been making shady moves for ages 
it's wild that they thought they could get away with it 
but kudos to the DEA for finally taking action 
hundreds of thousands of bucks just from one meet-up? 
. It's just not right that Maduro and his wife thought they could get away with it. And kudos to the DEA for finally taking action.
. Maduro's wife getting slapped with bribes charges is cute, but let's be real, she was probably just a pawn in a much larger game 
this indictment is just a minor speed bump on the road to justice... or not 
.
Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse for Venezuela 
... apparently Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia are involved in a massive cocaine trafficking operation 
! Like, thousands of tons of coke going into the US every year? 
It's wild that they're being charged with narco-terrorism conspiracy and cocaine importation conspiracy - it sounds like they were basically running a cartel out of Venezuela 
. And to think they thought they could just bribe their way out of trouble 
. This is crazy stuff, and I'm low-key impressed that the DEA was able to pull off this raid 
!
. And Maduro's wife gets paid off for meetin' with some big-time trafficker? That's just wild, fam! 
. And Maduro's wife getting bribes for arranging meetings? Girl, bye 
. It's time for accountability and justice 
. And can we talk about how much money Cilia Flores just accepted? Like, hundreds of thousands of dollars... that's some serious graft 
. This indictment is a huge deal, I hope Maduro and his wife are held accountable for their crimes 
