New York City (WABC) — Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is being flown to New York, where he has faced terrorism and drug charges since 2020, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.
President Trump announced that he and his wife had been arrested and flown out of the country, but did not reveal where the United States would take him.
Maduro was charged in 2020 in the Southern District of New York with narco-terrorism conspiracy, conspiracy to import cocaine, and weapons offenses for allegedly colluding with a Colombian rebel group known by its initials, FARC, “flooding” the United States with cocaine.
“As alleged, Maduro and the other defendants expressly intended to flood the United States with cocaine in order to undermine the health and well-being of our nation. Maduro intentionally used cocaine as a weapon,” then-U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman said.
Live updates on Venezuela here.
Current US Attorney General Pam Bondi took to social media to comment on the charges against Maduro:
“Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Celia Flores, have been indicted in the Southern District of New York. Nicolas Maduro is charged with narcotics and terrorist conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of automatic weapons and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess automatic weapons and destructive devices against the United States. They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in the American courts,” she said.
Former FBI agent Richard Frankel comments on the arrest of Venezuela’s Maduro and the security implications for New York City.
While sources did not specify where Maduro is being held, defendants awaiting trial in federal court in Manhattan are typically detained at the MDC in Brooklyn.
ABC News contributed to this report.
———-
* Get eyewitness news delivered
* More New York City news
* Download the abc7NY app to get breaking news alerts
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Do you have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If you attach a video or photo, the Terms of Use apply.
Copyright © 2026 WABC-TV. All rights reserved.