Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro indicted in New York on drugs and weapons charges
Venezuelan President, Nicolas Maduro, will stand trial in the US, after both he and his wife were captured and flown out of the country by US special forces on Saturday morning.
US Attorney General, Pam Bondi, has confirmed that both Maduro and his wife have been indicted in the Southern District of New York.
Bondi said Maduro had been charged with “Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy, Possession of Machine guns and Destructive Devices, and Conspiracy to Possess Machine guns and Destructive Devices against the United States”.
Bondi added: “They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts.”
Bondi did not confirm what Maduro’s wife had been charged with.
Marco Rubio comments
The confirmation of charges follows Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, earlier stating that Maduro would stand criminal trial, likely on drug trafficking charges.
In a social media post, Mike Lee, a Republican senator for Washington, said: “[Rubio] informed me that Nicolas Maduro has been arrested by US personnel to stand trial on criminal charges in the United States, and that the kinetic action we saw tonight was deployed to protect and defend those executing the arrest warrant.”
Lee also added that Rubio “anticipates no further action in Venezuela now that Maduro is in US custody”.
Rubio also shared an old post in the form of a screenshot on X, in which he condemned Maduro and his government.
In the post, Rubio said: “Maduro is NOT the President of Venezuela and his regime is NOT the legitimate government.
“Maduro is the head of the Cartel de Los Soles, a narco-terror organisation which has taken possession of a country. And he is under indictment for pushing drugs in the United States.”
US officials also confirmed that members of Delta Force, the US military’s top special mission unit captured Maduro.
Global figures react
A score of global leaders have begun reacting to the news that Maduro had been captured by US forces, with Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief confirming she had spoken to Rubio about US strikes on Venezuela.
She wrote on X: “The EU had repeatedly stated that Mr Maduro lacks legitimacy and has defended a peaceful transistion.
“Under all circumstances, the principles of international law and UN Charter must be respected. We call for restraint.”
Elsewhere, Russia has condemned the US strikes, saying that “ideological hostility” has prevailed over diplomacy.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement: “This morning, the United States committed an act of armed aggression against Venezuela. This is deeply concerning and condemnable.”
Trinidad and Tobago’s foreign ministry have also shared a statement, denying any involvement in the attack, after providing support to the US military to combat drug trafficking in the Caribbean, saying it “continues to maintain peaceful relations” with the nation.
Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, said she was “closely monitoring the situation” whilst Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, called for “de-escalation and responsibility”.
Venezuela response
Following the strikes, Venezuelan defence minister, Vladimir Padrino Lopez, confirmed the nation will resist the presence of foreign troops.
In a video statement, he added that US strikes on the country had struck civilian areas and confirmed that the Fort Tiuna military installation in Caracas was attacked, and that the nation is working to compile information about both the injured and the dead.
Meanwhile, Vice President, Delcy Rodriguez, said that Maduro’s location was unknown, adding “we demand proof of life”.
The country also called for an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council in response to the strikes, according Yvan Gil Pinto, the foreign minister.