U.S. indicts Venezuela's Maduro, a political foe, for 'narco-terrorism'

[webfact]

U.S. indicts Venezuela's Maduro, a political foe, for 'narco-terrorism'

By Matt Spetalnick and Sarah N. Lynch

 

FILE PHOTO: Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro speaks during a news conference at Miraflores Palace in Caracas, Venezuela, March 12, 2020. REUTERS/Manaure Quintero/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government on Thursday indicted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and more than a dozen other top Venezuelan officials on charges of "narco-terrorism," the latest escalation of the Trump administration's pressure campaign aimed at ousting the socialist leader.

 

The State Department offered a reward of up to $15 million (£12.33 million) for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Maduro, whose country has been convulsed by years of a deep economic crisis and political upheaval.

 

The indictment, a rare U.S. action against a sitting foreign head of state, marks a serious new phase against Maduro by Washington at a time when some U.S. officials have privately said President Donald Trump is increasingly frustrated with the results of his Venezuela policy.

 

Attorney General William Barr, announcing charges that include narco-terrorism conspiracy, corruption, and drug trafficking, accused Maduro and his associates of colluding with a dissident faction of demobilized Colombian guerrilla group, the FARC, "to flood the United States with cocaine."

 

A wanted poster offering $15 million dollars for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro is seen after being released by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as Maduro and more than a dozen other top Venezuelan officials were indicted by the U.S. Justice Department on charges of "narco-terrorism" in Washington, U.S. March 26, 2020. DEA/Handout via REUTERS.

 

"While the Venezuelan people suffer, this cabal lines their pockets with drug money and the proceeds of their corruption," Barr said of Maduro and the others who were indicted.

 

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza said the charges and rewards being offered showed the Trump administration's "desperation" as well as its "obsession" with the South American country aimed at benefiting Trump's 2020 re-election campaign.

 

Trump's pressure on Venezuela has gone over well among Cuban Americans in South Florida, a key voting bloc in a major presidential swing state.

 

The U.S. government has previously lodged criminal indictments against members of Maduro's family and inner circle. He and his allies have dismissed such allegations as a smear campaign, and argue the United States is responsible for drug trafficking, given its role as a leading consumer.

 

Maduro is already under U.S. sanctions and has been the target of a U.S. effort aimed at pushing him from power. He took office in 2013 after the death of his mentor President Hugo Chavez, a staunch foe of the United States.

 

Other Venezuelan officials whose indictments were announced on Thursday include Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez, senior socialist leader Diosdado Cabello, and the chief justice of the country's supreme court, Maikel Jose Moreno Perez, who was charged with money laundering. The U.S. government is offering $10 million for information leading to Cabello's arrest.

 

The United States and dozens of other countries have recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela's legitimate president, regarding Maduro's 2018 re-election as a sham. But Maduro has remained in power, backed by the country's military and by Russia, China and Cuba.

 

U.S. officials have long accused Maduro and his associates or running a "narco-state," saying they have used proceeds from drugs transshipped from neighboring Colombia to make up for lost revenue from a Venezuelan oil sector hit by heavy sanctions by the United States.

 

The U.S. government on Thursday brought drug trafficking charges against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and several others, accusing them of trying "to flood the United States with cocaine," Attorney General William Barr told reporters. Gavino Garay has more

 

'DEPLOYED COCAINE AS A WEAPON'

The indictments were unsealed in New York, Florida and Washington.

 

Barr dodged a reporter's question on whether Trump, who has pressed his aides in recent months for a tougher approach on Venezuela, was briefed in advance, saying, "I don't talk about internal deliberations."

 

Maduro and his closest allies ran a "narco-terrorism partnership with the FARC for the past 20 years," stated Geoffrey Berman, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, who said the Venezuelan president "very deliberately deployed cocaine as a weapon."

 

"The scope and magnitude of the drug trafficking alleged was made possible only because Maduro and others corrupted the institutions of Venezuela and provided political and military protection for the rampant narco-terrorism crimes described in our charges," he added.

 

The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Ariana Fajardo Orshan, said she sees signs of Venezuelan officials' laundered money throughout her area every day, from fancy yachts to million-dollar condos.

 

"This party is coming to an end," she said.

 

Asked whether the U.S. government was also considering designating Venezuela a state sponsor of terrorism, which carries further sanctions, Barr said: "It's really one step at time, so I really have nothing to say about that right now."

 

CNN, citing sources familiar with the situation, reported earlier that Venezuela was expected to be named to the blacklist as soon as Thursday. But a U.S. official told Reuters such a move was not likely imminent.

 

Thursday's charges altogether carry a maximum penalty of up to life in prison. Asked whether the U.S. government wants to capture Maduro dead or alive, Barr said: "We want him captured so he can face justice in U.S. court."

 

Barr said the administration does "expect eventually to gain custody of these defendants." But he offered no indication of how U.S. authorities might get their hands on Maduro, who has endured more than a year of heavy international pressure and on-again, off-again street protests as the OPEC member's economy has continued to unravel.

 

Maduro's international travel could be restricted, given Washington would be able to request that he be handed over if he visits a country that has an extradition treaty with the United States. U.S. authorities can also freeze any assets he has in the United States, though such holdings are considered unlikely.

 

The Justice Department said that since at least 1999, Maduro, along with Cabello and others, "acted as leaders and managers of the 'Cartel of the Suns'." The name, it said, refers to the sun insignias affixed to the uniforms of high-ranking Venezuelan military officials.

 

An indictment accused Padrino, who holds the rank of general, of using his control of the Venezuelan military to facilitate cocaine flights to the United States.

 

Venezuelan Vice President Tareck el-Aissami, who already faced U.S. sanctions for alleged drug trafficking, was charged with evading U.S. sanctions.

 

(Reporting by Matt Spetalnick and Sarah Lynch; Additional reporting by Humeyra Pamuk in Washington and Luc Cohen and Brian Ellsworth in Caracas; Editing by Alistair Bell, Rosalba O'Brien and Daniel Wallis)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-03-27

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[fasteddie]

Remind me again what Venezuela has lots of, oh that's right, OIL! More trumped up charges to steal another sovereign nations resources as in Iraq, Libya, Syria.

[URMySunshine]

Reagan guns for contras - remember that ! Cocaine yes  - commies NO !

[Chomper Higgot]

The US military are on lock down, The indictment isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on.

 

It might have more worth if it were printed on softer paper.

[Cryingdick]

2 hours ago, fasteddie said:

Remind me again what Venezuela has lots of, oh that's right, OIL! More trumped up charges to steal another sovereign nations resources as in Iraq, Libya, Syria.

 

Yeah oil is in great demand right now.... 

[rabas]

2 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

The US military are on lock down, The indictment isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on.

 

It might have more worth if it were printed on softer paper.

Remote control drones, the ideal way to kill time in isolation.

[rabas]

3 hours ago, fasteddie said:

Remind me again what Venezuela has lots of, oh that's right, OIL! More trumped up charges to steal another sovereign nations resources as in Iraq, Libya, Syria.

So you prefer Russia stealing their oil (and gold) by propping up yet another murderous dictator.

[alanrchase]

If they have indicted him why are they offering money for information? They would need to have sufficient information in order to indict wouldn't they?

[owl sees all]

Looks like Venezuela has moved up the regime change list. North Korea down one. Iran and Syria still one and two.

[Bluespunk]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

The State Department offered a reward of up to $15 million (£12.33 million) for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Maduro

How much do I get if I tell them the residence where he can be found dwelling?

Edited March 27, 2020 by Bluespunk

[Oliver Holzerfilled]

Mad Burro should start stocking up on winter clothing it gets cold in Moscow in the winter.

[FritsSikkink]

1 hour ago, rabas said:

So you prefer Russia stealing their oil (and gold) by propping up yet another murderous dictator.

Russia isn't stealing oil and they don't invade oil rich countries to "bring them democracy"

[nausea]

Yeah, that's a good idea, put him on "death ground". Chances of him and his cohorts relinquishing power peacefully, now somewhere between 0 and zero.

[atyclb]

4 hours ago, Cryingdick said:

4 hours ago, rabas said:

Remote control drones, the ideal way to kill time in isolation.

 I doubt our special forces are really worried about the virus. Chomper went out of his way to say something ridiculous.

 

odd because he's never gone out of his way before to say "ridiculous things"

[rabas]

4 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

Russia isn't stealing oil and they don't invade oil rich countries to "bring them democracy"

"Steal" was the word used by the previous poster.

 

Did a Russian passenger plane jet off from Caracas with Venezuelan gold?

 

[Srikcir]

Madero should retaliate and indict Trump for "psycho terrorism" and offer a $15 million bounty. 

[Baerboxer]

10 hours ago, fasteddie said:

Remind me again what Venezuela has lots of, oh that's right, OIL! More trumped up charges to steal another sovereign nations resources as in Iraq, Libya, Syria.

 

At the moment Russia is busy looting Venezuela's gold mining. Whilst Maduro and his highly corrupt regime and family loot the oil revenues.

 

And neither country tolerates democracy, free speech or human rights.

 

Ain't socialism just grand!

[Baerboxer]

39 minutes ago, rabas said:

"Steal" was the word used by the previous poster.

 

Did a Russian passenger plane jet off from Caracas with Venezuelan gold?

 

 

More than one!

[khunken]

36 minutes ago, rabas said:

"Steal" was the word used by the previous poster.

 

Did a Russian passenger plane jet off from Caracas with Venezuelan gold?

 

Well if it did (a huge 'if') it was likely to prevent the US getting its dirty hands on it.

[Baerboxer]

2 hours ago, atyclb said:

 

odd because he's never gone out of his way before to say "ridiculous things"

 

that's true - saying ridiculous things seems very natural to him!

[Baerboxer]

1 minute ago, khunken said:

Well if it did (a huge 'if') it was likely to prevent the US getting its dirty hands on it.

 

If you believe that then you must be the most naive person since Neville Chamberlain.

[jany123]

27 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

At the moment Russia is busy looting Venezuela's gold mining. Whilst Maduro and his highly corrupt regime and family loot the oil revenues.

 

And neither country tolerates democracy, free speech or human rights.

 

Ain't socialism just grand!

Are you really equating the political systems of those countries to socialism?

 

(given the ongoing assault on the truth in America, I’m not convinced of the wisdom of raising tolerance of freedom of speech this discussion)

Edited March 27, 2020 by jany123

[Baerboxer]

4 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

Russia isn't stealing oil and they don't invade oil rich countries to "bring them democracy"

 

No but they invade other countries to prop up undemocratic dictatorships that are friendly to them.

[rabas]

6 minutes ago, khunken said:

Well if it did (a huge 'if') it was likely to prevent the US getting its dirty hands on it.

=======> if

 

[metisdead]

Off topic posts and replies about Saddam Hussein have been removed. 

 

An inflammatory post was removed. 

 

A post in which multi quoting was used has been removed:

 

5. Please do not quote multiple nested quotes. Quote only the relevant section that you are discussing. Moderators will snip excessively long nested quotes. 

[Nyezhov]

8 hours ago, Cryingdick said:

 

Yeah oil is in great demand right now.... 

Its not like the USA needs more of it.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I have no doubt... Maduro is a criminal and everything else...

 

But there's a certain sad irony here...

 

Barr's Justice Department under Trump figures they can indict a (somewhat) president of a foreign country on criminal charges.

 

But the same Barr Justice Department says they are somehow barred from indicting an equally big U.S. president criminal on criminal charges....

 

So just how exactly did they figure that???

[Mac98]

If Cabello does in Maduro and then turns himself over to U.S. authorities, does he get $25 million and reduced time?

[Nyezhov]

1 hour ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

I have no doubt... Maduro is a criminal and everything else...

 

But there's a certain sad irony here...

 

Barr's Justice Department under Trump figures they can indict a (somewhat) president of a foreign country on criminal charges.

 

But the same Barr Justice Department says they are somehow barred from indicting an equally big U.S. president criminal on criminal charges....

 

So just how exactly did they figure that???

Not the first time a "head of state" has been indicted. Remeber Noriega? 

 

One has got nothing to do with the other, other than to continue to feed into the anti Trump echo chamber.  

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

9 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

One has got nothing to do with the other, other than to continue to feed into the anti Trump echo chamber.  

 

I wouldn't say that.... There's no law or court ruling that I'm aware of that says a sitting U.S. president cannot be prosecuted by the feds... As best as I'm aware, it's a Justice Department legal opinion that predated Trump...

 

But if you can't see the irony and contrast between the two different situations, what can I say!!!

 

The U.S. can prosecute the heads of states of other countries, but not its own country.....  Something's definitely out of whack in that scenario.

 

 

Edited March 27, 2020 by TallGuyJohninBKK