The Trump administration has said that Venezuela’s leader, Nicolas Maduro, and his wife will face what it described as “the full wrath of American justice” over alleged drug trafficking and terrorism related offences.
US Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a post on X that Maduro and his wife, who were reportedly removed from Venezuela by the US military, would be tried on American soil. She stated that both are already facing charges in a New York federal court, including narco terrorism conspiracy and cocaine importation conspiracy.
The statement followed comments by Donald Trump, who said US forces had captured Maduro after carrying out what he described as a “large scale strike” against Venezuela. According to Trump, the operation was conducted in coordination with US law enforcement agencies.
Trump announced the development on Truth Social, claiming that Maduro and his wife had been flown out of the country following the operation. He added that he would address the matter further at a news conference scheduled to hold at his Mar a Lago residence in Florida, where he has been spending the Christmas and New Year holiday period.