U.S. Charges Venezuela President With Narco-Terrorism, Illegal Arms Possession

The United States Department of Justice has charged Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro with narco-terrorism, cocaine trafficking and illegal possession of machineguns and destructive devices against the U.S.

This followed President Donald Trump’s announcement of Maduro’s arrest in a military-backed operation on Saturday.

In a statement posted on X on Saturday, US Attorney-General Pamela Bondi announced that Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, had been indicted in the Southern District of New York.

Bondi had said the suspects would face trial in the U.S., praising President Trump for demanding accountability and commending US forces involved in the operation.

Earlier, President Trump announced on his Truth Social account that Maduro had been captured and removed from Venezuela following a large-scale US strike on the country.

“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,” Trump wrote, adding that the operation was conducted in conjunction with US law enforcement agencies.

Trump’s announcement followed reports of multiple explosions across the country’s capital, Caracas, and other parts of Venezuela in the early hours of Saturday.

CNN reported that several blasts were heard in the capital from about 1:50 a.m. local time, accompanied by power outages and the sound of aircraft overhead.

Venezuela’s government accused the United States of carrying out a “grave military aggression” against Caracas and the states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira.

In a statement, authorities said President Maduro had signed a state of emergency declaration and ordered the activation of national defence plans.

The government said it would file complaints before the United Nations Security Council and other international bodies, calling for global condemnation of the alleged attack.

The United States recently increased its military presence in the Caribbean as part of efforts targeting alleged drug trafficking networks linked to Venezuela.