Nicolás Maduro is currently facing U.S. federal charges centered on alleged narco‑terrorism and large‑scale cocaine trafficking conspiracies linked to a network known as the Cartel de los Soles and cooperation with Colombia’s FARC guerrillas.

Core charges in the U.S.

U.S. prosecutors have brought an indictment in New York that accuses Maduro, his wife Cilia Flores, and senior Venezuelan officials of leading or conspiring with a drug‑trafficking organization to move massive quantities of cocaine into the United States. The alleged conspiracy is described as a long‑running project, starting around 1999, to use Venezuelan state power and security forces to protect and facilitate these shipments.

Key alleged charges include:

  • Conspiracy to commit narco‑terrorism (using drug trafficking in a way aimed at harming the U.S.)
  • Conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States
  • Firearms‑related conspiracy, including possession of machine guns and destructive devices in connection with the drug crimes

Role of the Cartel de los Soles

The indictments describe the Cartel de los Soles (“Cartel of the Suns”) as a network of high‑ranking Venezuelan military and political figures who allegedly exploited their positions to move cocaine through Venezuela. Maduro is alleged to have helped manage and eventually lead this organization, directing it to “flood” the U.S. with cocaine and to use the drug trade both for personal enrichment and as a strategic weapon against the United States.

Allegations include:

  • Providing protection and state resources (military, police, diplomatic cover) for cocaine shipments
  • Supplying military‑grade weapons to FARC
  • Coordinating foreign arrangements (for example with Honduras) to facilitate large‑scale cocaine transport

Earlier and updated indictments

Maduro was first indicted by U.S. authorities in 2020 on narco‑terrorism, cocaine importation, and related firearms offenses, alongside several other Venezuelan officials. Those earlier charges already tied him to cooperation with FARC and to the Cartel de los Soles as a major trafficking group. A new or superseding indictment announced in early 2026 reiterates and expands on those themes, bringing Flores formally into the case and emphasizing the long duration and political reach of the alleged conspiracy.

What penalties he could face

If Maduro were ever tried and convicted in U.S. court on the narco‑terrorism and cocaine‑import conspiracy counts, he could face extremely long prison terms, potentially including life imprisonment under U.S. federal sentencing rules for these kinds of offenses. Analysts also note that such a case against a sitting president would be legally and diplomatically unprecedented, so the practical path to arrest or trial remains uncertain.

TL;DR: The “Maduro charges” most people are referring to are U.S. indictments accusing Venezuela’s president Nicolás Maduro of leading a state‑linked drug‑trafficking and narco‑terrorism conspiracy—moving tons of cocaine to the U.S., working with the Cartel de los Soles and FARC, and using state resources and weapons to support that operation.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.