❓WHAT HAPPENED: The United States has released an indictment against Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, alleging a decades-long racketeering and narco-terrorism conspiracy.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Nicolás Maduro Moros, high-ranking Venezuelan officials, and international criminal groups including FARC, ELN, the Sinaloa Cartel, and Los Zetas.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The alleged activities span from 1999 to 2025 and involve Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico, and the United States.
💬KEY QUOTE: “For over 25 years, leaders of Venezuela have abused their positions of public trust and corrupted once-legitimate institutions to import tons of cocaine into the United States.” – Federal indictment
🎯IMPACT: The indictment seeks to hold Maduro and his associates accountable for their alleged roles in facilitating drug trafficking and supporting terrorist organizations.
Venezuela’s Marxist dictator Nicolás Maduro entered a plea of not guilty in federal court on Monday, where he and his wife, Cilia Adela Flores de Maduro, were arraigned on charges of narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of military-grade weaponry, and conspiracy to possess such weapons. The indictment, filed by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), outlines how Maduro, his wife, and numerous high-ranking Venezuelan government and military officials abused state institutions to further a criminal enterprise called the Cartel de los Soles (Cartel of the Suns), which allegedly trafficked thousands of tons of cocaine and other drugs into the United States.
“For over 25 years, leaders of Venezuela have abused their positions of public trust and corrupted once-legitimate institutions to import tons of cocaine into the United States,” the indictment states. It further accuses Maduro of using his authority to facilitate drug trafficking and corruption for personal and familial gain. In response to the charges, Maduro told the court, “I am not guilty, I am a decent man, I am still the president of my country.”
Before the alleged cartel leader could finish his statement, he was cut off by U.S. District Court Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who subsequently ordered Maduro held until the next hearing scheduled for March 17. The indictment names key co-conspirators, including Diosdado Cabello Rondón, Ramón Rodríguez Chacín, Cilia Adela Flores de Maduro, Nicolás Ernesto Maduro Guerra, and Héctor Guerrero Flores. They are alleged to have played significant roles in facilitating drug shipments and protecting traffickers.
Additionally, the Venezuelan regime is accused of providing a “safe haven” for designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) such as FARC and ELN, as well as international cartels like the Sinaloa Cartel and Los Zetas. The indictment details specific instances of corruption, including the use of diplomatic cover to transport cocaine, bribes to protect traffickers, and state-sponsored violence to enforce criminal interests.
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