Venezuela's ousted strongman Nicolás Maduro could face the death penalty if convicted on federal drug-trafficking and other charges. The Venezuelan dictator was arrested during a dramatic U.S. raid at his presidential palace in Caracas. He has since been transferred to New York.
Maduro is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn as he awaits his court appearance on Monday, when he will be formally charged in a four-count indictment. If convicted, Maduro could face the grim prospect of spending the rest of his life in prison — or possibly an even harsher fate. Maduro's wife and biggest confidante, Cilia Flores, is also likely to face similar criminal charges.
Maduro's Fate Hangs in Balance
Under U.S. federal law, those found guilty of violating the Controlled Substances Act as part of a "continuing criminal enterprise" may be eligible for the death penalty, according to the Library of Congress.
Under U.S. law, crimes that can carry the federal death penalty generally fall into a few categories — homicide, treason or espionage, and certain serious drug offenses that do not involve homicide. Even so, sentences of death for drug-related crimes are extremely rare.
"Most capital offenses involve a homicide," the site said. "More defendants are sentenced to death for murder than for all of the other federal capital offenses."
In a message posted on X on Saturday, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said that Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, "will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts." However, she stopped short of saying what punishment the Justice Department would pursue if he is ultimately convicted.
Trump's Action Draws Comparisons
President Trump's decision to launch a raid in Venezuela has inevitably been compared to the 1989 U.S. invasion of Panama, when President George H. W. Bush ordered the capture of dictator Manuel Noriega, who ultimately ended up serving time in prison rather than facing execution.
Maduro and several other senior Venezuelan officials were first charged in a sweeping drug-trafficking indictment back in 2020. Earlier this year, a federal grand jury added new counts to the original charges.
The latest indictment lists Maduro along with about six other defendants, accusing them of conspiring to engage in narco-terrorism, plotting to import cocaine into the United States, and facing two additional charges related to the possession of machine guns.
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are currently being detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
