Nicolás Maduro is facing multiple U.S. federal charges centered on narco- terrorism and large-scale cocaine trafficking, along with serious weapons offenses and related conspiracies.

Main charges

Most major outlets and official summaries describe four core categories of charges against Maduro in U.S. courts.

  • Narco-terrorism conspiracy (often styled as “narco‑terrorism conspiracy” or “narco‑terrorism offenses”), alleging he used drug trafficking as a tool to harm the United States.
  • Cocaine importation / cocaine trafficking conspiracy, accusing him of helping move tons of cocaine toward or into the U.S. over decades.
  • Conspiracy to possess and possession of machine guns and “destructive devices” in connection with these narco‑terror activities.
  • Corruption-related conduct, including abusing state institutions and law enforcement to protect and advance the drug operations (sometimes framed as part of the broader narco‑terrorism and trafficking scheme rather than as a separate standalone charge).

In plain language, the U.S. is accusing Maduro of leading or directing a long- running criminal project in which senior Venezuelan officials allegedly:

  1. Partnered with major drug-trafficking and armed groups to ship “loads of cocaine” through Venezuela and onward to the U.S.
  1. Used government power, security forces, and state institutions to shield those shipments and enrich a political–military elite.
  1. Did so in a way U.S. prosecutors characterize as “narco‑terrorism,” treating the drug flow as both a criminal enterprise and a hostile act against the United States.

Current status and context

  • The newer indictment unsealed after his capture builds on or “supersedes” the original 2020 case, repeating and expanding the narco‑terrorism, cocaine conspiracy, and weapons counts.
  • U.S. officials describe Maduro as being “at the forefront” of a corrupt regime that for roughly 25 years allegedly turned Venezuela’s state apparatus into a protector of major cocaine trafficking networks.

So when people ask “what will Maduro be charged with,” they are essentially referring to these U.S. federal charges of narco‑terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and multiple weapons-related counts, plus related corruption allegations embedded in those cases.

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