Jan 3, 2026 / 11:05 am

A U.S. indictment brought against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro accuses the politician of running a corrupt government facilitating drug trafficking and conspiracy, among other crimes.

Maduro was captured by American forces on Jan. 3 after U.S. strikes in the nation’s capital of Caracas.

In a Jan. 3 unsealed indictment, the U.S. government alleged that Maduro — who has held power in Venezuela for over a decade — has “tarnished every public office he has held” with corruption and drug-running.

Maduro “allows cocaine-fueled corruption to flourish for his own benefit, for the benefit of members of his ruling regime, and for the benefit of his family members,” the indictment says.

The document alleges that Maduro has used a “corrupt, illegitimate government” to facilitate the drug trafficking, with the purported drug empire helping “violent narco-terrorists” run narcotics both in Venezuela and into the United States.

The indictment accuses Maduro and others of multiple violations of U.S. drug law, including “narco-terrorism conspiracy” and “cocaine importation,” as well as weapons charges.

The document was filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Earlier in the day U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said on X that Maduro would “soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts.”

Though the air strikes in Caracas are reported to have caused destruction there, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly said on Jan. 3 that there would be “no further action” after the arrest of Maduro.

Church context

The apparent fall of the socialist leader follows months of escalating tensions. The U.S. recently designated Maduro as the alleged leader of the “Cartel of the Suns” narco-terrorism ring.

The Venezuelan Bishops’ Conference (CEV) has long warned of the country’s “turbulent national reality.” In their recent Christmas message, the bishops cautioned that the “joyful experience” of the season was “overshadowed” by the country’s “generalized impoverishment.”

Tensions between the Church and the regime have spiked since the disputed July 2024 elections. The episcopate has repeatedly demanded the release of political prisoners — including minors — while Maduro recently accused Cardinal Baltazar Porras of conspiracy during the October 2025 canonization of Venezuela’s first saints.

Analysts told CNA recently that the Church would likely face “ more persecution” in 2026 as the regime becomes increasingly isolated.

This is a developing story. Updated Jan. 3, 2026, at 4:45 a.m. ET.