Maduro To Face Drug And Terror Charges, Announces US Hours After His Capture

US Attorney General Pam Bondi says deposed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, will face criminal charges after an indictment in New York. In a post on X, Bondi said that the couple will "soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts."

"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", she wrote 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…

— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) January 3, 2026

Her remarks come as US President Donald Trump said that America had carried out a large strike against Venezuela during which the incumbent President Nicolas Maduro and his wife "were captured and flown out of the country". Trump has repeatedly accused the Venezuelan president of presiding over what he has described as a "narco-terrorist" government.

"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. This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement. Details to follow. There will be a News Conference today at 11 A.M., at Mar-a-Lago. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP," the US President posted on Truth Social.

The US had attacked Venezuelan boats accused of carrying drugs to America, and Trump had threatened that he could order military strikes on targets on Venezuelan territory. Meanwhile, Maduro said that the US operations were only a veiled effort to oust him from power.

On Saturday, the US conducted a "large-scale strike" against Venezuela and said that Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, had been captured and flown out of the country. Trump announced the operation on social media hours after the attack. The Venezuelan government called it an "imperialist attack" and urged citizens to take to the streets.