by Sam Halpern
The announcement comes after US President Donald Trump confirmed that morning that Maduro, along with his wife, had been captured as American airstrikes slammed into targets across Venezuela.
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Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores have been indicted in New York and “will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil,” US Attorney-General Pam Bondi announced on Saturday.
“Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been indicted in the Southern District of New York,” Bondi wrote on X/Twitter. “Maduro has been charged with Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy, Possession of Machineguns and Destructive Devices, and Conspiracy to Possess Machineguns and Destructive Devices against the United States.”
The announcement comes after US President Donald Trump confirmed that morning that Maduro, along with his wife, had been captured as American airstrikes slammed into targets across Venezuela.
Bondi went on to express, on behalf of the American Justice Department, her gratitude to Trump “for having the courage to demand accountability on behalf of the American People.” She also thanked the military personnel who conducted the operation to extract Maduro and his wife.
In a later post on the social media platform, Bondi shared a link to the unsealed indictment, signed by Jay Clayton, the US attorney for the Southern District of New York.
US capture of Maduro comes after US told Venezuelan leader to leave
The assault on Venezuela comes at the height of years of mounting tensions between Washington and Caracas, and, as recently as early last month, Maduro was told in a phone call with President Donald Trump that he had one week to leave Venezuela.According to Reuters, at the time, Trump told the South American leader that he had a week to leave the country.
JD Vance: Maduro 'newest person to find out Trump means what he says'
Following Bondi's announcement, US Vice President JD Vance asserted that Trump had offered Maduro various avenues to avoid the current situation, and the Venezuelan president is the latest person to learn that Trump "means what he says."The president offered multiple off ramps, but was very clear throughout this process: the drug trafficking must stop, and the stolen oil must be returned to the United States. Maduro is the newest person to find out that President Trump means what he says.
— JD Vance (@JDVance) January 3, 2026
Kudos to our brave… pic.twitter.com/b1fqkdbB4x
"The president offered multiple off ramps, but was very clear throughout this process: the drug trafficking must stop, and the stolen oil must be returned to the United States," Vance wrote. "Maduro is the newest person to find out that President Trump means what he says. Kudos to our brave special operators who pulled off a truly impressive operation."
Maduro and wife will be taken to New York, says Trump
Trump, who later on Saturday confirmed Maduro's indictment while speaking to Fox News, said that Maduro and his wife were taken to a ship after their capture and are set to be taken to New York.Reuters contributed to this report.
Sam Halpern
Source: https://www.jpost.com/international/article-882163
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