US charges Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro with crimes against humanity

US Charges Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and Five Others with Multiple Crimes

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, along with First Lady Cilia Flores, was taken into custody by US authorities on Saturday. The couple was flown to a US warship via helicopter before being transported to New York, where they will face trial on multiple charges.

A sealed indictment filed in the Southern District of New York under seal before Christmas Day has been unsealed, accusing Maduro and his associates of various crimes. The charges include “narco-terrorism” conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.

Maduro is charged alongside his wife, son, Diosdado Cabello, former Interior Minister Ramon Rodriguez Chacin, and Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores. The charges carry potential maximum sentences of life imprisonment under US law.

According to the indictment, Maduro and his associates are accused of working with regional drug trafficking groups, including in Colombia and Mexico. However, US data shows that Venezuela is not among the world’s major drug producers.

The indictment alleges that Maduro aimed to transport thousands of tons of cocaine into the United States over a period of 25 years. It also claims that he provided Venezuelan diplomatic passports to drug traffickers and facilitated diplomatic cover for planes used by money launderers.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that Maduro and his wife “will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts.” The trial is expected to take place in New York.

Source: Al Jazeera