U.S. indicts Venezuelan President on drug trafficking charges

WASHINGTON – The Trump administration announced sweeping indictments Thursday of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and some of his associates on federal drugtrafficking and related charges, in a major escalation of the U.s.-led campaign to topple Maduro and his socialist government.

The charges, described by Attorney General William Barr at a news conference in Washington, allege that Maduro and members of his inner circle conspired with rebels from neighboring Colombia to create a vast and lucrative criminal enterprise in Venezuela “flooding” the United States with cocaine and generating billions in illicit dollars. Maduro and his allies pocketed profits, and the rebels received weapons, prosecutors allege – all while Venezuela descended into poverty and social collapse.

“The Maduro regime is awash in corruption and criminality,” Barr said. It has “betrayed the Venezuelan people and corrupted Venezuelan institutions. While the Venezuelan people suffer, this cabal lines their pockets with drug money and proceeds of the corruption. This has to come to an end.”

The indictment naming Maduro means he would be subject to arrest if he leaves Venezuela. The U.S. State Department immediately put out a $15-million reward for information leading to his capture.

Barr would not discuss whether the administration might attempt to extradite Maduro – or extract him in a military operation. He said he expected Maduro and others charged in the multiple indictments and one complaint to be tried in U.S. courtrooms.

In Caracas, Maduro responded even before Barr finished speaking. It’s a conspiracy from the United States and Colombia, he railed, and “they have given the order to fill Venezuela with violence!” He said he would defend “peace and homeland” against “whatever circumstances present themselves.”

It is unusual for the U.S. government to indict a sitting president. The last time such an action was taken was the 1988 indictment of Gen. Manuel Noriega, the powerful and wildly corrupt leader of Panama. A year later, then-president George H.W. Bush invaded Panama and captured Noriega, and he was convicted on trafficking and moneylaundering charges.

While U.S. officials often draw parallels between the ways Noriega and Maduro transformed their countries into criminal havens, an invasion-andcapture scenario for Venezuela is seen as highly unlikely. Panama was at the time a small country with a U.S. military presence tied to the Panama Canal. Venezuela by contrast is vast, and Maduro enjoys formidable military support from Russia and Cuba.

The Trump administration – propelled by hawks like former National Security Adviser John Bolton – has sought for more than a year to oust Maduro while the country plunges into economic decay. But the effort has floundered. The administration does not recognize Maduro and has thrown its support behind Juan Guaido, head of the opposition.

The timing of the action raised questions within the foreign policy community and those who follow Venezuelan issues. It comes as Venezuela – its health system already teetering – is being overwhelmed by the coronavirus pandemic, which may make Maduro more open to political negotiations.

“For the first time in a long time, Maduro needs the opposition” for access to international aid to fight the pandemic, said David Smilde, a Tulane University professor who is a fellow at the Washington Office on Latin America. Indicting Maduro now will make him feel cornered and less likely to cooperate.

“This ups the pressure, but it ups Maduro’s exit price even more,” he said. “It’s hard to imagine he would not hunker down. Why negotiate now if you have an indictment hanging over your head?”