Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela’s embattled president, is facing a far-reaching criminal case in Manhattan after being captured in a U.S. military raid, reviving and expanding an indictment that federal prosecutors have pursued for years.
An indictment unsealed Saturday by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York accuses Maduro, his wife, his son and several close allies of running what prosecutors describe as a state-backed narco-trafficking enterprise that funneled tons of cocaine into the United States over more than two decades.
List of the charges
Prosecutors allege that Maduro and senior Venezuelan officials “abused their positions of public trust,” corrupting government institutions to protect and partner with major criminal organizations, including Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel and Venezuela-based Tren de Aragua.
In return, the indictment says, traffickers paid bribes and shared profits with officials who provided law enforcement cover and logistical support.
