How Nicolas Maduro Used Venezuela As A Drug Passage For Mexican Cartels

Hours after the United States carried out a military operation in Venezuela and captured President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, federal prosecutors in New York unsealed charges revealing how the Venezuelan government allegedly became a hub for cocaine trafficking.

The indictment claims Maduro, Flores, and other top officials used Venezuela's military, ports, and law enforcement to help Mexican cartels, including the Sinaloa Cartel and the Zetas. Containers reportedly carried 5 to 20 tonnes of cocaine each, protected by military officers called “the generals.”

Officials allegedly coordinated with state-backed gangs, known as ‘colectivos', to intimidate, punish, or eliminate anyone who threatened the operation.

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Prosecutors say Maduro provided diplomatic passports to traffickers and facilitated private flights to move cocaine proceeds from Mexico to Venezuela, while his son, Nicolas Ernesto Maduro Guerra, allegedly oversaw shipments on the presidential aircraft. Cilia Flores allegedly accepted hundreds of thousands in bribes and brokered access to the National Anti-Drug Office.

Between 2003 and 2011, the Zetas, now designated by the US as the Cartel del Noreste foreign terrorist organisation, worked with Colombian traffickers to load cocaine onto container ships at Venezuelan ports. The shipments were protected by military officials, who provided secure passage and ensured that law enforcement did not interfere.

Later, the Sinaloa Cartel became a major beneficiary, using Venezuelan territory and protection to move cocaine produced in Colombia northward toward Mexico and the United States.

Prosecutors also link Venezuela's narco-network to other criminal groups in Latin America, including the FARC, the ELN, and, more recently, the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, which has expanded its influence beyond national borders. According to US authorities, Venezuela became a safe haven for traffickers, with an estimated 200-250 tonnes of cocaine moving through the country annually.

When shipments were seized, such as in Mexico in 2006 and France in 2013, prosecutors allege they were followed by bribes and cover-ups.