US President Donald Trump releases first photo of Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro on board USS Iwo Jima

Maduro and his wife were captured and flown out of the country to the US, where they will face charges related to drug-trafficking.

The US has long accused Maduro of leading a drug cartel responsible for smuggling contraband into America, a charge which he has repeatedly denied.

Indictment against Maduro and his wife

Following the capture of Maduro and his wife, the US Justice Department released a new indictment of them.

The indictment accuses Maduro of leading a “corrupt, illegitimate government that, for decades, has leveraged government power to protect and promote illegal activity, including drug trafficking.”

It alleges that the drug trafficking efforts “enriched and entrenched Venezuela’s political and military elite.”

US authorities allege that Maduro partnered with “some of the most violent and prolific drug traffickers and narco-terrorists in the world” to bring tons of cocaine into the US, according to the indictment.

Authorities estimate that as much as 250 tons of cocaine were trafficked through Venezuela by 2020, according to the indictment. The drugs were moved on go-fast vessels, fishing boats, and container ships or via planes from clandestine airstrips, authorities allege.

Speaking at a press conference, hours later, Trump brought up the 1823 Monroe Doctrine, formulated by President James Monroe, which was used to justify US military interventions in Latin America.
Trump added his name to it, calling it “The Don-Roe Doctrine” and saying, “American dominance in the Western Hemisphere will never be questioned again.”