Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife have been indicted in New York on several charges related to drug trafficking and weapons possession
US President Donald Trump confirmed that his forces carried out large-scale airstrikes on Venezuela and that the oil-rich South American country’s leader, Nicolas Maduro, had been captured and flown out of the country.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that military strikes on Venezuela were meant to provide cover for the capture of the country’s President
Maduro is now facing several charges related to narcotics trafficking and weapons on US soil. He has long denied such allegations and has claimed that the US was using them as a pretext for military aggression and in order to topple his government.
RT reports: US Attorney General Pam Bondi later announced that Maduro and his wife have been indicted in New York on charges of “narco-terrorism conspiracy” and will “soon face the full wrath of American justice.”
Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello Rondon has told the country’s troops to “trust the leadership,” while Foreign Minister Yvan Gil has accused Washington of seeking to gain control of the Latin American nation’s natural resources.
Numerous videos have emerged of a series of heavy explosions across the Venezuelan capital, Caracas. Footage showing attacks in two other parts of the country has also been geolocated. One clip features the outline of several US Chinook military helicopters swooping across the city at low altitude.
In a statement, Moscow has condemned the US “aggression,” called for “immediate clarification” on Maduro’s whereabouts and lamented that “ideological hostility has triumphed over businesslike pragmatism.”
American Senator Mike Lee announced on his personal X account that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had told him that Washington does not foresee any further military operations at this time and that the Venezuelan president will stand trial in the US.
Multiple Western countries have expressed “concern” and claimed they are monitoring developments with their diplomatic teams in the Venezuelan capital.
Moscow has urged the US to release Maduro and his wife in a statement issued by the Russian Foreign Ministry on Saturday.
“We emphasize the need to create conditions for resolving any existing issues between the United States and Venezuela through dialogue,” the statement added.