Todd Blanche, Deputy Attorney General under President Trump, described in a recent statement the organized international drug trafficking network allegedly run by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his associates. “This was an infrastructure and a very organized group of individuals from all over the world — different gangs and different terrorist organizations — that worked together to bring drugs into this country, and that's what I expect the evidence at trial will show,” Blanche said.

The remarks come as Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, pleaded not guilty in Manhattan federal court on January 5, 2026, following the U.S. military operation in Caracas that captured the couple. The charges, filed under a 2025 indictment unsealed post-capture, accuse them of narco-terrorism and coordinating cocaine trafficking into the United States.

Blanche emphasized that the upcoming trial will expose the full scope of the Maduro regime’s criminal network, including links to global gangs and terrorist organizations. Prosecutors anticipate presenting evidence demonstrating coordination across multiple countries to facilitate the importation of narcotics, as well as internal mechanisms used to evade law enforcement and sustain the trafficking operation.

The case underscores the Trump administration’s commitment to holding international actors accountable for criminal activity that threatens U.S. security. Supporters argue that the operation and subsequent trial highlight a renewed posture of decisive action against narco-terrorism, ensuring that those responsible for drug flows into the United States face justice.