Venezuelan dictator Nicol\u00e1s Maduro and his First Lady Cilia Flores were indicted after they were captured by US forces during a high-stakes military operation Saturday morningMaduro and Flores were charged in the Southern District of New York with narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices against the United States, Attorney General Pam Bondi said on X early Saturday<\/p>\n
\u201cThey will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts,\u201d Bondi said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI 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.\u201d
\nThe 63-year-old, who has held power in the country since 2013, was taken by the US military after President Trump ordered airstrikes on several military bases across the Venezuelan capital of Caracas<\/p>\n
Maduro is expected to face trial for his charges when he arrives in the US, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, according to Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT).
\nJust got off the phone with @SecRubio,\u201d Lee wrote on X. \u201cHe informed me that Nicol\u00e1s Maduro has been arrested by US personnel to stand trial on criminal charges in the United States, and that the kinetic action we saw tonight was deployed to protect and defend those executing the arrest warrant.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis action likely falls within the president\u2019s inherent authority under Article II of the Constitution to protect US personnel from an actual or imminent attack,\u201d Lee added<\/p>\n
Maduro has been wanted by the United States since at least 2020, when the first Trump administration hit him with a slew of charges.<\/p>\n
Trump had placed an initial $15 million bounty for information leading to Maduro\u2019s capture after the federal charges were filed in the Southern District of New York in March 2020.<\/p>\n
In August, Trump increased the bounty to $50 million as officials accused Maduro of using foreign terrorist organizations like [Tren de Aragua], Sinaloa and Cartel of the Suns to bring drugs and violence into the US.<\/p>\n
The Drug Enforcement Administration has thus far seized 30 tons of cocaine linked to Maduro and his associates, Attorney General Pam Bondi said in August, and \u201cnearly seven tons linked to Maduro himself, which represents a primary source of income for the deadly cartels based in Venezuela and Mexico.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maduro was flown out of Venezuela on Saturday morning, but it was unknown where the US military and law enforcement agents were transporting him.<\/p>\n
\u201cA new dawn for Venezuela! The tyrant is gone. He will now\u2014finally\u2014face justice for his crimes,\u201d US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau wrote on X.<\/p>\n
Explosions were first reported in Caracas and neighboring states at around 2 a.m. local time.<\/p>\n
Several military facilities, including the country\u2019s largest complex, Fuerte Tiuna, were struck, sparking a large fire, during the nighttime operation.<\/p>\n
Trump praised the efforts of the \u201cbrilliant operation\u201d as part of \u201ca lot of good planning,\u201d he told the New York Times.<\/p>\n
The Trump administration has repeatedly called Maduro\u2019s regime \u201cillegitimate\u201d and said he has remained in power because of rigged elections, including 2024, when he faced opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe status quo with the Venezuelan regime is intolerable for the United States,\u201d Rubio said in December.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe illegitimate regime in Venezuela \u2026 invite[s] Hezbollah and Iran to operate from their territory [and] also allows [Colombian terror groups] ELN and the FARC dissidents not just to operate from inside of Venezuelan territory, but to control Venezuelan territory unencumbered, unimpeded,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Venezuelan Executive Vice President Delcy Rodr\u00edguez, who is next in line for the presidency according to the country\u2019s constitution, has demanded \u201cproof of life\u201d of the captured Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, according to state media.<\/p>\n
Rodr\u00edguez, a close ally of Maduro, revealed the government did not know the whereabouts of Maduro after he was flown out of the country.<\/p>\n
Rodr\u00edguez, 56, has been a powerful figure in Venezuelan politics for decades, having begun in 2003 before ascending into the Hugo Chavez administration in 2006 and remaining a top figure in Maduro\u2019s regime.<\/p>\n
Allies of the Venezuelan dictator have denounced the US military operation, but European leaders have called for \u201crestraint\u201d respecting international law, but added that Maduro \u201clacks legitimacy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe EU has repeatedly stated that Mr Maduro lacks legitimacy and has defended a peaceful transition. Under all circumstances, the principles of international law and the UN Charter must be respected. We call for restraint,\u201d the European Union\u2019s Kaja Kallas added.<\/p>\n
Venezuelan opposition leader and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner Mar\u00eda Corina Machado is viewed as a possible replacement by the people of Venezuela if Rodr\u00edguez fails to assume power.<\/p>\n
Trump is expected to hold a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort at 11 a.m. Saturday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Venezuelan dictator Nicol\u00e1s Maduro and his First Lady Cilia Flores were indicted after they were captured by US forces during a high-stakes military operation Saturday morningMaduro and Flores were charged in the Southern District of New York with narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5978,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5977","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t