Venezuela’s head of state Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores have been charged in New York, according to US Attorney General Pam Bondi. They are accused of crimes related to drug trafficking, as Bondi announced on the X platform.
Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been indicted in the Southern District of New York. Nicolas Maduro has been charged with Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy, Possession of Machineguns and Destructive Devices, and Conspiracy to Possess…
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) January 3, 2026
Specifically, Maduro will be, among other things “Drug terrorism conspiracy” as well as “Cocaine import conspiracy” accused. He will also Possession of machine guns and explosives accused. “You will soon have to face the full rigors of American justice in American courts on American soil,” Bondi wrote. She described Maduro and his wife as “suspected international drug traffickers”.
Early Saturday morning, US President Donald Trump confirmed a large-scale attack on Venezuela on his online mouthpiece Truth Social. US elite units arrested Maduro and his wife and took them out of the country. He announced a press conference with further details at 11 a.m. local time (5 p.m. CET).
Venezuela’s authoritarian head of state Maduro has long accused the USA of wanting to force a change of power in Caracas. After his re-election in 2024, which was overshadowed by allegations of fraud, the government in Washington no longer recognized the left-wing politician as the legitimate head of state. (sda/dpa)