Matt Spetalnick, Sarah N. Lynch
Yahoo NewsThu, 26 Mar 2020 00:00 UTC
© Reuters/Aaron P. BernsteinUS AG William Barr
The U.S. government on Thursday indicted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and other top Venezuelan officials on charges of "narco-terrorism," the latest escalation of the Trump administration's pressure campaign against the socialist leader.
The State Department offered a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Maduro, who has been in power since 2013.Attorney General William Barr announced the charges against Maduro, who already faces U.S. sanctions and has been the target of a U.S. effort aimed at pushing him from power. Venezuela's information ministry did not immediately reply to an email seeking comment.
Barr accused Maduro and his associates of conspiring with a dissident faction of the leftist Colombian guerrilla group FARC "to flood the United States with cocaine."
"While the Venezuelan people suffer, this cabal...lines their pockets," Barr said of Maduro and the
more than a dozen others who were indicted. They include
Venezuela's defense minister and the chief justice of the country's supreme court.The indictment, a rare U.S. action against a sitting foreign head of state, marks a serious escalation 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.
The United States and dozens of other countries have recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as the country's legitimate president. 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 drug trafficking proceeds to make up for lost revenue from a Venezuelan oil sector heavily sanctioned by the United States.
The indictments were unsealed in New York, Florida and Washington.
Comment: In a time of crisis, the US seizes advantage and doubles down.
UPDATE: 26/3/2020
US State Dept. offers $10M for others
Tips leading to the narcotrafficking arrest or conviction of National Constituent Assembly President Diosdado Cabello Rondon, retired generals Hugo Carvajal Barrios and Clive Alcala Cordones, or Minister for Industry and National Production Tareck Zaidan El Aissami Maddah can net as much as $10 million, the statement continued.
The rewards were unveiled on the same day as the US Justice Department unsealed indictments against the Venezuelan leaders for the same drug trafficking crimes - suggesting that Washington's evidence isn't as solid as Attorney General William Barr has claimed.
If evidence against Maduro and his compatriots is at such a premium that the State Department will pay $15 million for it, the Venezuelans are unlikely to see the inside of a US court anytime soon.
See also:
Comment: In a time of crisis, the US seizes advantage and doubles down.
UPDATE: 26/3/2020 US State Dept. offers $10M for others See also: