Deposed Venezuelan president was controversially captured over weekend amid US military intervention
Deposed Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro is expected to appear in Manhattan federal court on Monday afternoon on drugs and weapons charges after his controversial capture by US Special Forces this weekend.
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were seized in a shocking pre-dawn raid at a compound on Saturday during an assault on Caracas. At least 40 people, including civilians and Venezuelan military members, died in the attack, the New York Times reported.
Charging papers against Maduro allege that he helmed a “corrupt, illegitimate government that, for decades, has leveraged government power to protect and promote illegal activity, including drug trafficking”.
The arrests came after months of US pressure against Maduro, which included attacks on alleged “narco boats”. These boat strikes resulted in at least 110 deaths and some legal experts have questioned whether the strikes are tantamount to war crimes.
