NEW DELHI, Jan 3: The US Attorney General Pam Bondi said the deposed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, would face criminal charges after an indictment in New York.
In a post on X, Bondi said the couple would “soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts.” “Nicolas 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”, she wrote on X.
Her remarks come as US President Donald Trump said America had carried out a large strike against Venezuela during which the incumbent President Nicolas Maduro and his wife “were captured and flown out of the country.” Trump has repeatedly accused the Venezuelan president of presiding over what he has described as a “narco-terrorist” government.
“The United States of America has successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country. This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement. Details to follow. There will be a News Conference today at 11 A.M., at Mar-a-Lago. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP,” the US President posted on Truth Social.
The US had attacked Venezuelan boats accused of carrying drugs to America, and Trump had threatened that he could order military strikes on targets on Venezuelan territory. Meanwhile, Maduro said the US operations were only a veiled effort to oust him from power.
On Saturday, the US conducted a “large-scale strike” against Venezuela and claimed that Maduro and his wife had been captured and flown out of the country. Trump announced the operation on social media hours after the attack. The Venezuelan government called it an “imperialist attack” and urged citizens to take to the streets.
(Manas Dasgupta)
