• The Southern District of New York handles complex international drug trafficking prosecutions
• Maduro’s wife’s nephews were previously convicted in the same Manhattan courthouse
• Federal law gives prosecutors venue options when drugs are destined for US soil

NEW YORK, NY (TDR) — Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro appeared in a Manhattan federal courtroom today to face narco-terrorism charges that were filed in the Southern District of New York nearly five years ago. The venue choice reflects both the district’s specialty in international drug cases and its direct connection to previous Venezuelan trafficking prosecutions.

The charges against Maduro originated in March 2020 when federal prosecutors in Manhattan filed a sealed indictment accusing him of conspiring with Colombian guerrilla groups to flood the United States with cocaine. That case has been pending before Judge Alvin Hellerstein since then, establishing Manhattan as the judicial home for this prosecution.

Manhattan’s Drug Trafficking Expertise

The Southern District of New York prosecutes some of the nation’s most complex international narcotics cases. The district’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit specializes in transnational drug trafficking that threatens US national security, working closely with the Drug Enforcement Administration and FBI.

Freedom-Loving Beachwear by Red Beach Nation - Save 10% With Code RVM10

Federal prosecutors can file drug trafficking charges in any district where the drugs were destined to arrive. According to the superseding indictment unsealed Saturday, Maduro and his associates directed cocaine shipments specifically to New York and Miami through various smuggling routes including maritime vessels and clandestine airstrips.

Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed that both Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores face charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy and cocaine importation conspiracy in Manhattan federal court. The four-count indictment alleges the couple conspired to import cocaine into the United States and possessed machine guns and destructive devices.

The Venezuelan Connection To New York

Manhattan federal court has a documented history with Venezuelan drug trafficking cases involving Maduro’s family members. In November 2015, two nephews of Flores were arrested in Haiti by DEA agents and immediately flown to New York to face charges.

Efraín Antonio Campo Flores and Francisco Flores de Freitas were convicted in the Southern District of New York in November 2016 for conspiring to import 800 kilograms of cocaine into the United States. Both received 18-year prison sentences before being released in 2022 as part of a prisoner exchange.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE THE DUPREE REPORT

Prosecutors alleged during that trial that the nephews planned to use their trafficking proceeds to help their family maintain political power in Venezuela. The case established a prosecutorial foundation in Manhattan for charges against higher-ranking Venezuelan officials.

Why Federal Venue Matters

Federal law provides prosecutors with flexibility in choosing where to file international drug trafficking charges. Any district with a connection to the alleged criminal activity can establish venue, whether the drugs were manufactured, transported through, or destined to arrive there.

The Southern District of New York encompasses Manhattan and the Bronx along with six Hudson Valley counties. Its jurisdiction over New York City makes it a natural venue for cases involving drugs destined for the nation’s largest metropolitan area.

Former Venezuelan intelligence chief Hugo Carvajal, who cooperated with prosecutors after his 2023 extradition, also faced charges in Manhattan federal court. Carvajal pleaded guilty in June 2025 to narco-terrorism and drug trafficking charges, providing prosecutors with insider testimony about Venezuelan government involvement in cocaine trafficking.

The Cartel Of The Suns

Federal prosecutors allege that Maduro led what they call the Cartel of the Suns, a criminal network of senior Venezuelan military and government officials who facilitated cocaine shipments into the United States. The name references the sun-shaped insignia worn by high-ranking Venezuelan officers.

The indictment alleges that Maduro conspired with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia to traffic approximately 250 tons of cocaine annually into the United States. Prosecutors claim he provided Venezuelan military and intelligence resources to protect drug shipments and allowed clandestine airstrips to operate for trafficking operations.

Judge Hellerstein will oversee Maduro’s case as it proceeds through the Southern District of New York, the same courthouse where multiple Venezuelan trafficking cases have already resulted in convictions. The Manhattan venue combines prosecutorial expertise in international drug cases with established legal precedent from related Venezuelan prosecutions.

Will Maduro’s case reveal deeper connections between Venezuelan officials and international drug cartels?

Freedom-Loving Beachwear by Red Beach Nation - Save 10% With Code RVM10