US Unveils Drug, Terrorism Charges Against Venezuela’s Maduro After Claimed Capture

The United States has announced drug trafficking and terrorism-related charges against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, following claims by the Trump administration that he has been captured.

US Attorney General Pamela Bondi said Maduro and his wife would face what she described as “the full wrath of American justice” over alleged offences linked to narco-terrorism and cocaine trafficking. In a post on X, Bondi stated that both are already charged in a federal court in New York, including counts of narco-terrorism conspiracy and conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States.

According to the statement, the couple were reportedly removed from Venezuela by the US military and are expected to be tried on American soil.

The announcement followed comments by former US President Donald Trump, who claimed that American forces captured Maduro during what he described as a “large-scale strike” carried out in coordination with US law enforcement agencies.

Trump made the claim on his Truth Social platform, alleging that Maduro and his wife were flown out of Venezuela after the operation. He added that he would provide further details at a news conference scheduled to hold at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, where he has been spending the Christmas and New Year holiday period.

There has been no immediate response from the Venezuelan government to the claims.