Did Maduro Misuse Diplomatic Immunity For Drug Trafficking? What US Claimed

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro allegedly sold diplomatic passports to drug traffickers during his time as foreign minister, according to a US federal indictment. The charges include narco-terrorism, cocaine-importation conspiracy, and weapons offences. Prosecutors say the criminal network operated for more than two decades and involved senior figures in Venezuela's leadership, including Maduro's wife, Cilia Flores, and his son, Nicolas Ernesto Maduro Guerra.

Maduro and Flores were captured on Saturday during a US military operation in Caracas, and they are now in New York to face federal narcotics-related charges.

Allegations Of A State-Backed Drug Network

According to US prosecutors, Venezuelan leaders have for more than 25 years “abused their positions of public trust and corrupted once-legitimate institutions to import tons of cocaine into the United States.” The indictment alleges that beginning as early as 1999, Maduro and his co-defendants partnered with major international trafficking organisations, including Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel and Los Zetas, Colombian narco-terrorist groups, and the Venezuelan criminal gang Tren de Aragua.

Maduro's Drug Business As Foreign Minister

Maduro significantly expanded his alleged drug trafficking network while serving as Venezuela's foreign minister from 2006 to 2008, US prosecutors claim.

During that period, he is accused of selling Venezuelan diplomatic passports to known traffickers, allowing drug proceeds to move under diplomatic immunity. Prosecutors allege the Venezuelan embassy in Mexico provided cover for private aircraft used to return illicit funds to Venezuela, with flights operating under diplomatic status and shielded from inspection.

Court filings further allege that Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, worked for years to traffic cocaine previously seized by Venezuelan authorities, recycling confiscated drugs back into the international market. The operation was allegedly protected by state-backed armed groups and enforced through kidnappings, beatings, and murders against those who owed drug money or threatened the network.

Nicolas Maduro's Son Allegedly Involved

US prosecutors say Nicolas Ernesto Maduro Guerra, the president's son, played a key role in the alleged drug network, using state aircraft, military support, and political influence to move cocaine to the United States. Between 2014 and 2015, he allegedly flew twice a month on a state-owned PDVSA jet loaded with cocaine, with military personnel aware of the cargo. An affidavit claims he said the plane could fly “wherever it wanted,” including into US airspace.

Prosecutors also allege that in 2017 he helped arrange large cocaine shipments to Miami and New York, including plans to smuggle hundreds of kilograms through US ports hidden in cargo containers.

Nicolas Maduro became foreign minister in 2006 and vice president in 2012. Following former President Hugo Chavez's death in 2013, Maduro narrowly won the presidency.