Washington, 06 January (H.S.): Following the arrest and extradition of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, U.S. authorities are now turning their attention to several other top Venezuelan officials, all of whom are close associates of Maduro. Maduro and Flores face charges of narco-terrorism, and similar allegations have been leveled against multiple members of Maduro’s inner circle.

Maduro and Flores have already been presented before a federal court in New York, with Maduro currently detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.

According to CBS News, nearly all of Maduro’s key allies are now under indictment, accused of collaborating with him in running a cartel responsible for trafficking several tons of cocaine into the United States.

Among those named are acting President Delcy Rodríguez, Diosdado Cabello, Vladimir Padrino López, Jorge Rodríguez, and Nicolás “Nicolásito” Ernesto Maduro Guerra—Maduro’s son. Nicolás Guerra, known locally as “Little Nicolás” or “Nicolásito,” was previously charged in 2020 for drug-related offenses connected to the Cartel de los Soles.

The 35-year-old holds a significant position in Venezuela’s legislative body and, according to U.S. indictments, worked closely with his father, other officials, drug traffickers, and narco-terrorist groups to facilitate cocaine shipments from Venezuela to the U.S. via Caribbean and Central American transit points.

Delcy Rodríguez, 56, is considered Maduro’s closest confidante and was sworn in as acting president on Monday. She is a member of the group long accused by Washington of helping Maduro consolidate authoritarian rule in Venezuela.

Diosdado Cabello, currently overseeing Venezuela’s Ministry of Interior and Justice, has broad control over the country’s police and prison systems. A former vice president and long-time head of Venezuela’s National Assembly, Cabello also previously led the country’s intelligence service.

Like Maduro, Cabello faces criminal charges in the U.S., including allegations of assisting in the trafficking of more than five tons of cocaine. In 2020, a federal indictment in New York’s Southern District charged him with multiple federal drug and weapons offenses.

Vladimir Padrino López, Venezuela’s current defense minister, is accused of direct involvement in drug trafficking. The U.S. alleges he facilitated the safe passage of commercial flights carrying illegal drugs and received protection fees for doing so.

In 2020, a federal court in Washington, D.C., formally indicted him on these charges.Jorge Rodríguez, the brother of the acting president, has served as the head of Venezuela’s National Assembly since 2021.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar