Top U.S. Law Enforcement Official Describes Federal Coordination in Maduro Arrest
The nation’s top law enforcement official is detailing the role that federal law enforcement agencies played in the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores from their compound in Venezuela by an elite U.S. special forces unit.
In a statement, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the operation “required months of coordination, detailed planning, and seamless execution across multiple components of the federal government.” She emphasized that the Department of War led the effort and praised the “brave military heroes” who carried it out.
Attorney General Bondi also noted specialized personnel from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Department of Justice (DOJ) attorneys and other DOJ components worked to ensure the movement, control, and transfer of the two high-risk defendants.
“All personnel involved acted professionally, decisively, and in strict accordance with U.S. law and established protocols. This was a perfectly executed operation with intensive cooperation and trust among President Trump’s team,” stated Attorney General Bondi.
Maduro and Flores pleaded not guilty in federal court in New York City to charges including narco-trafficking and other offenses. Their next scheduled court appearance is in March.
DOJ’s Case Against Maduro
DOJ states that Maduro allegedly provided Venezuelan diplomatic passports to drug traffickers and facilitated diplomatic cover for aircraft used by money launderers to repatriate drug proceeds from Mexico to Venezuela.
While the administration frames the mission as a lawful effort to apprehend indicted fugitives, critics including many Democrats, say the Trump Administration overstepped constitutional and international boundaries by deploying U.S. military forces into Venezuela without Congressional authorization, raising legal and diplomatic questions.
"It was a law enforcement function to arrest indicted individuals in Venezuela," said Attorney General Bondi. "Our military pulled off a flawless, flawless execution of that."