Nicolás Maduro could face the death penalty if found guilty of the charges against him.
On the night of January 2, Venezuelan leader Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were apprehended at their residence in Caracas and brought to the United States.
The operation to capture Maduro was highly intricate, involving 150 military aircrafts under the direction of Delta Force.
Upon reaching the U.S., Maduro was charged with several offenses, including Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy, Possession of Machineguns and Destructive Devices, and Conspiracy to Possess such weapons against the United States.
An indictment unsealed over the weekend by Attorney General Pam Bondi disclosed that Maduro and Flores are not the only individuals facing accusations.
Others named in the indictment include Maduro’s son, Nicolás Maduro Guerra, former Venezuelan VP Diosdado Cabello Rondón, politician Ramón Rodríguez Chacín, and Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores.
Maduro and his wife are set to appear in federal court in New York today, January 5, before 92-year-old Judge Alvin Hellerstein for formal charges related to drugs and weapons, as reported by BBC News. It is anticipated that they will enter pleas during this arraignment.
Due to the severity of the alleged crimes, Maduro could be subject to capital punishment if convicted.
While the death penalty is commonly associated with murder, it applies to other capital offenses as well. According to the Federal Death Penalty Act of 1994, there are roughly 60 crimes that can result in capital punishment.
The Library of Congress notes: “The Federal Death Penalty Act recognizes other capital offenses that do not necessarily involve murder: treason, espionage, large-scale drug trafficking, and attempted murder to obstruct a drug kingpin investigation.”
The New York Post mentions that applying the death penalty for this category of crime is infrequent.
On Saturday, Bondi stated that Flores and Maduro “will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts.”
Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been indicted in the Southern District of New York. Nicolas Maduro has been charged with Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy, Possession of Machineguns and Destructive Devices, and Conspiracy to Possess…
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) January 3, 2026
She added: “On behalf of the entire U.S. DOJ, I would like to thank President Trump for having the courage to demand accountability on behalf of the American People, and a huge thank you to our brave military who conducted the incredible and highly successful mission to capture these two alleged international narco traffickers.”