In a dramatic escalation of international tensions, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife have been formally indicted by the United States Justice Department on charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy and weapons offenses. The indictment was unsealed in the Southern District of New York following what U.S. officials describe as a successful military operation that resulted in the capture of both individuals.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the charges, which specifically accuse President Maduro of conspiring to import cocaine into the United States and illegally possessing machine guns and destructive devices. While the exact charges against Maduro’s wife remain unspecified, Bondi declared that both would ‘face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts.’
The legal action follows an early morning military intervention that included a 30-minute aerial bombardment targeting multiple military bases in Caracas and other Venezuelan locations. President Donald Trump confirmed that U.S. forces had captured Maduro and his wife and removed them from Venezuelan territory during this operation.
The development comes six months after the United States initiated its largest military mobilization in the Caribbean region, targeting vessels suspected of transporting narcotics toward American shores. Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez has formally requested that the U.S. government provide ‘proof of life’ documentation regarding Maduro’s current status and whereabouts.