The United States attorney general has confirmed that Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, will face criminal charges in the United States following their reported capture during recent United States military strikes in Venezuela. Pam Bondi said both have been indicted in the Southern District of New York and will be brought before American courts, escalating Washington's most direct intervention in Latin America since the 1989 invasion of Panama.
Bondi detailed a series of charges against Maduro, including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation, and multiple weapons-related offenses involving machine guns and destructive devices. While Maduro's indictment has been public since 2020, the Justice Department has now confirmed that Flores was also indicted, a fact not previously disclosed.
The announcement comes after President Donald Trump claimed United States forces detained Maduro during overnight attacks and flew him out of Venezuela. Bondi framed the operation as a coordinated effort between the military and law enforcement, aimed at enforcing long-standing indictments rather than initiating a new legal case.
In her statement, the attorney general praised Trump for what she described as a willingness to demand accountability and thanked United States forces involved in the operation. She said the case sends a clear message that alleged international crimes will be pursued regardless of political position.
Pam Bondi on X:
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 Machineguns and Destructive Devices against the United States. They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts.
On behalf of the entire U.S. DOJ, I would like to thank President Trump for having the courage to demand accountability on behalf of the American People, and a huge thank you to our brave military who conducted the incredible and highly successful mission to capture these two alleged international narco traffickers.
<social>https://x.com/AGPamBondi/status/2007428087143686611?s=20</social>