After his capture on January 3 during a US military operation in Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were presented before a federal court in New York to face charges of narcoterrorism conspiracy, introduction of cocaine into the United States and weapons-related crimes.
The indictment, signed by prosecutor Jay Clayton and a grand jury, describes a network of state corruption that, according to Washington, allowed the flow of drugs to the United States for years with the direct participation of senior Venezuelan civil, military and intelligence officials.
Although the document redefines the Cartel of the Suns as a “clientele system” and not as a traditional criminal organization, the accusations against the former president are not mitigated. On the contrary, they detail specific mechanisms through which Maduro would have protected and facilitated drug trafficking operationsaccording to what was reported by Transparency Venezuela.
Use of passports and diplomatic coverage
One of the pillars of the accusation is the alleged use of the Venezuelan diplomatic system to facilitate drug trafficking and money laundering. The US Attorney’s Office maintains that between 2006 and 2008, when Maduro was foreign minister, diplomatic passports were granted to drug traffickers and official missions were used to transfer cocaine money from Mexico to Venezuela.
According to the indictment, private planes with diplomatic protection were used to avoid security checks, while Venezuelan embassies served as a liaison point for these financial operations.
Drug trafficking as a mechanism of political power
The United States claims that Drug trafficking was not only a source of personal enrichment, but a tool to consolidate and preserve political power.
The indictment describes alliances with the FARC, the ELN, the Sinaloa Cartel, Los Zetas and the Aragua Train, who were allegedly offered police protection and logistical support in exchange for million-dollar payments. Part of these resources, the Prosecutor’s Office maintains, would have been used to support the structure of the regime.
Participation of direct family members
Unlike the accusation presented in 2020, the new file includes direct relatives of the former president. In addition to Cilia Flores, her son Nicolás Maduro Guerra is accused of participating in meetings with representatives of the FARC to coordinate the trafficking of drugs and weapons to the United States.
The Prosecutor’s Office considers that these efforts were part of a long-term scheme to guarantee the constant flow of cocaine for several years.
Armed groups as operational arm
The court document also accuses the Maduro-Flores couple of using armed groups to guard drug shipments and carry out acts of violence against those affected by illicit operations.
According to the indictment, these groups participated in kidnappings, beatings and murders linked to disputes over drug trafficking debts.
Official planes and drug trafficking routes
Cases such as the seizure of more than a ton of cocaine on an Air France flight in 2013 are cited as evidence of the use of state infrastructure for drug trafficking.
The Prosecutor’s Office maintains that, after that episode, routes and methods were adjusted to continue operations, including the use of aircraft linked to Venezuelan state companies to transport drugs inside and out of the country.
Links of the Maduro government with the Aragua Train
Although the Venezuelan government claims to have dismantled the Aragua Train, the United States includes it among the criminal organizations associated with the drug trafficking scheme.
The accusation states contacts between leaders of the mega-band and people linked to the regimewith offers to escort drug shipments and control strategic routes.
The next hearing for Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores is scheduled for March 17 before Judge Alvin Hellerstein, in a process that, according to Washington, seeks to demonstrate that drug trafficking was a state policy in Venezuela for more than a decade.
