Nicolás Maduro, former president of Venezuela, was captured early this Saturday, January 3, and faces four serious federal charges; conspiracy for narcoterrorism, importation of cocaine, possession of automatic weapons and explosives, and weapons crimes in support of criminal activities.
Given this, criminal lawyer Andy Carrión Zenteno stated that the judicial process could be shortened significantly if Nicolás Maduro decides to recognize his responsibility and accept the charges against him.
“If he admits his guilt, this case could be closed even in a few weeks”the lawyer told Agencia Andina, adding that the investigation is not recent, but rather has significant progress.
He maintained that serious crimes have already been identified, so the next step is the formal accusation before US courts. If the facts are not accepted, the trial would be held in Southern District of New York and could extend between one and two years.
POSSIBLE CONVICTION
On the other hand, Carrión warned that the US criminal system accumulates penalties for each crime, which could translate into more than 80 years in prisoneven close to a life sentence, if a conviction is reached.
“If you decide to submit to an acknowledgment of the facts and negotiate with the prosecution, there could be a reduction in the years of punishment and shorten the entire judicial process that lies ahead.”he explained.
In turn, he stated that the accused has the right to have a lawyer of his free choice and time to put together a good defense. However, some rights are restricted, such as freedom of movement, as this is a high-profile case.
Likewise, the eventual trial against Nicolás Maduro would take place in the Southern District of New York (DSNY), according to international criminal analyst Carlos Caro, who asserted that in this court concentrates the most sensitive federal cases in the country.
