Wednesday, July 22, 2026

Venezuelan President Maduro, wife charged for cocaine trafficking, other crimes: U.S.

Earlier on Saturday, Mr Trump announced that Mr Maduro has been captured by U.S. forces.

• January 3, 2026
President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores
President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores[Credit: The Wall Street Journal]

U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi, on Saturday, said Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been charged with cocaine trafficking among other offenses.

In a statement on her official social media page on Saturday, Ms Bondi said “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,” Ms Bondi said.

The U.S. Attorney General said the duo of Mr Maduro and his wife “will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts,” lauding President Donald Trump and the U.S. military for the capture of the Venezuelan leader.

Earlier on Saturday, Mr Trump announced that Mr Maduro has been captured by U.S. forces months after declaring him wanted for cocaine trafficking in the United States.

“The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country,” Mr Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

This comes just a few months after the U.S. government declared Mr Maduro wanted for peddling drugs into the United States, offering a $50 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Mr Maduro.

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