Overview
- U.S. authorities announced the seizure and transfer of Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores, placing both in U.S. custody for prosecution.
- Filings in the Southern District of New York charge Flores with narcoterrorism conspiracy, cocaine‑importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and a related conspiracy.
- Pam Bondi announced that Flores was formally indicted alongside Maduro, underscoring that the case targets the core of Venezuela’s ruling circle.
- Press reports describe dozens of deaths during the operation, many reportedly Cuban security personnel, though those casualty figures remain unverified.
- Flores’s indictment follows years of influence in Venezuela’s institutions, prior U.S. and Canadian sanctions in 2018, and family exposure from her nephews’ 2015 DEA arrests and U.S. convictions.