NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 3 — Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has been charged in the United States with multiple serious criminal offences, including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy and illegal possession of military-grade weapons.
Maduro was charged following what Washington has described as a major military and law enforcement operation which saw him captured alongside his wife Cilia Flores.
US Attorney General Pamela Bondi said the couple had been indicted in the Southern District of New York, accusing Maduro of orchestrating criminal activities intended to harm the United States.
“Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been indicted in the Southern District of New York,” Bondi said.
“Mr Maduro has 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. They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil, in American courts.”
Bondi thanked President Donald Trump for what she described as decisive leadership and praised US military personnel involved in the operation that led to the capture of the pair, calling the mission “incredible and highly successful.”
President Trump earlier confirmed that US forces had carried out a military operation resulting in the capture of Maduro and Flores.
State of emergency
Trump said the operation was conducted “in conjunction with US law enforcement,” adding that further details would be provided at a news conference scheduled for 11am at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.
“The United States of America has successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolás Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the country,” Trump said.
The announcement came following overnight air and missile strikes in Venezuela, after authorities in Caracas declared a nationwide state of emergency.
The Venezuelan government said explosions were reported at both civilian and military sites in the capital, Caracas, as well as in the states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira.
Videos circulating on social media showed low-flying aircraft and plumes of smoke over Venezuelan airspace, though the footage could not be independently verified.
US officials told CBS News that President Trump had authorised the raids.
Caracas strongly condemned the operation, describing it as a “grave military aggression” and a violation of the United Nations Charter.
Night raid
The government accused Washington of attempting to undermine Venezuela’s sovereignty and seize its strategic resources, including oil and minerals.
“The objective of this attack is none other than to seize Venezuela’s strategic resources and to break the nation’s political independence by force,” the Venezuelan government said in a statement.
“They will not succeed. After more than 200 years of independence, the people and their legitimate government remain steadfast in defence of sovereignty and the inalienable right to decide their own destiny.”
Venezuela said it would raise the matter at international forums, including the UN Security Council, the office of the UN Secretary-General, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the Non-Aligned Movement, seeking condemnation and accountability.
Regional leaders reacted swiftly to the unfolding crisis.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro called for urgent international action, saying: “Right now they are bombing Caracas. The OAS and the UN must meet immediately.”
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel denounced the operation as a “criminal attack,” warning that peace in Latin America and the Caribbean was at serious risk.
The dramatic escalation follows months of sharply deteriorating relations between Washington and Caracas.
US forces have intensified maritime operations in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, targeting vessels suspected of drug trafficking, with officials reporting more than 30 interdictions in recent months.
President Trump has also increased pressure on Venezuela by imposing a blockade in December, designating Maduro and senior officials as leaders of a foreign terrorist organisation, and seizing Venezuelan-linked oil tankers in the Caribbean.
