US says Nicolás Maduro to face trial in New York after Caracas operation

Washington: After arresting Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, the US government will prosecute them in New York. US Attorney General Pamela Bondi tweeted that Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores have been charged in the Southern District of New York. Maduro was apprehended on Saturday in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, by a unit of the US military and taken out of the country.

Pamela Bondi stated that Nicolás Maduro has been charged with narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices against the United States. He will face the full wrath of American justice in American courts on American soil.

Thanks to Trump: Bondi

Pamela Bondi wrote in her tweet, "On behalf of the US Department of Justice, I want to thank Donald Trump for showing the courage to demand accountability on behalf of the American people. Also, a huge thank you to our brave soldiers who carried out this incredible mission to apprehend these two alleged international drug traffickers."

Senator Mike Lee of the US ruling Republican Party, after speaking with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, said that they have arrested Maduro. Lee said, "No further action is expected in Venezuela now that Maduro is in US custody. Maduro will be prosecuted on criminal charges in the United States."

What Trump said

Earlier, Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social, "The United States has conducted an operation against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, apprehending him and taking him out of the country." US President Donald Trump has long accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of being involved in drug trafficking and spreading crime in the United States. Meanwhile, on Saturday, the US launched an attack on Venezuela and apprehended him.

Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said that the government currently has no information about President Maduro or First Lady Cilia Flores. She stated that they have requested proof that both are alive. Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López said that the government is trying to gather information about the dead and wounded. The US attacks took place in residential areas, resulting in widespread damage.