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Geo News has obtained the official charge sheet filed by the U.S. Department of Justice against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Both are expected to appear before a federal court in New York on Monday.
This charge sheet, lodged with the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, is a superseding indictment, which means it expands on previous charges to make them more comprehensive and pressing.
According to the document provided to Geo News, U.S. prosecutors accuse Maduro of leveraging his official authority to shield and manage a large-scale drug trafficking operation. Over several years, the indictment alleges Maduro facilitated the movement of significant amounts of cocaine into the United States.
The document classifies these activities as beyond typical drug smuggling, labeling them as narco-terrorism according to U.S. law. It further claims Maduro and his associates collaborated with armed groups during trafficking operations and conspired to possess and deploy sophisticated weapons, including machine guns and other destructive devices, to support their criminal endeavors.
The charges fall under serious federal statutes, such as conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, and illegal possession of weapons. Cilia Flores is also named in the indictment, with prosecutors alleging that she was aware of the operations and, at times, involved in financial and administrative assistance. They argue that the network operated for many years, aiming to generate profits through drug trafficking while posing threats to U.S. interests.
Legal experts warn that if even one of these claims is substantiated in court, Maduro and Flores could face lengthy prison sentences, possibly including life imprisonment. The actual sentence would depend on the evidence, jury verdict, and federal sentencing procedures.
Maduro is scheduled to appear in a Manhattan federal court, a venue with a storied history of high-profile cases, including the trial and sentencing of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui in 2010, who was convicted there under the same judicial district.
Recent court records reveal that the primary focus now is on the nature of the allegations and the potential penalties if Maduro and Flores are proven guilty. The Southern District of New York has long been a major hub for some of the world’s most significant criminal trials, such as Bernard Madoff’s sentencing for his massive Ponzi scheme, which resulted in 150 years in prison, and the conviction and sentencing of figures like Sam Bankman-Fried for financial crimes, Ghislaine Maxwell for her role in Jeffrey Epstein’s trafficking crimes, and Martha Stewart for insider trading.
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