The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York has unsealed a sweeping superseding indictment leveling grave charges against Venezuelan leadership. The document presents a comprehensive case alleging that President Nicolás Maduro and his inner circle orchestrated a quarter-century conspiracy involving narcotics trafficking, corruption, and narco-terrorism.
Prosecutors depict a systemic corruption network where Venezuelan officials allegedly weaponized state institutions to facilitate massive cocaine shipments to the United States. The indictment identifies Maduro as the central figure in this operation, accusing him and his co-defendants of exploiting diplomatic protections and governmental authority to shield illegal activities.
The judicial filing details sophisticated collaboration between Venezuelan officials and internationally recognized terrorist organizations and cartels. According to the charges, Maduro’s regime partnered with Colombia’s FARC guerrillas, Mexico’s Zetas cartel, and the violent Tren de Aragua criminal syndicate to transport cocaine through Caribbean and Central American transit points.
Beyond drug trafficking, the indictment describes a pattern of political corruption including the alleged sale of Venezuelan diplomatic passports to drug traffickers seeking to move illicit proceeds. The document further connects these activities to Maduro’s contested political legitimacy, referencing internationally condemned presidential elections in 2018 and 2024.
Additional high-profile defendants include Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello Rondón, former Interior Minister Ramon Rodriguez Chacin, First Lady Cilia Adela Flores de Maduro, the president’s son Nicolas Ernesto Maduro, and Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores of Tren de Aragua.
The unsealed indictment represents one of the most significant narcotics cases ever brought against a sitting head of state, alleging that Venezuela’s leadership transformed the nation into a narco-state that threatened regional security and American communities through drug-fueled corruption.