Following US President Trump's high-profile announcement of the "capture" of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, the US Department of Justice swiftly filed charges against Maduro, his wife, and his son, accusing them of multiple crimes including narcoterrorism conspiracy. However, on January 4, the British Financial Times, comparing US government data on drug-related issues, found that the reality does not align with the American accusations.
According to the indictment unsealed by the US Department of Justice on the 3rd, Maduro is accused of collaborating with organizations like Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel and Venezuela's "Aragua Train" gang—both designated by the US as "foreign terrorist organizations"—in cocaine trafficking activities during his tenure in various high-level Venezuelan government positions.
The indictment alleges that Maduro committed the crimes of "narcoterrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices against the United States," fostering "cocaine-fueled corruption" in Venezuela to benefit himself, his ruling clique, and his family. Maduro has repeatedly and firmly denied any involvement in drug trafficking.
Bloomberg pointed out that if the charges are substantiated, Maduro could face a life sentence. The US first brought charges against Maduro during the final days of Trump's first term in 2020, offering a $50 million reward for information leading to his capture. On the 3rd, the Department of Justice updated these charges, adding Maduro's wife, son, and several other defendants.
Reportedly, the case, titled "United States v. Maduro," is being handled by the US District Court for the Southern District of New York. Trump stated earlier on the 3rd that Maduro had boarded a US vessel and was being transported to New York. Sources revealed that Maduro would be held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, and is expected to appear in court on the 5th.
However, the Financial Times noted that official US statistics and assessments regarding its own drug problem tell a story different from the aforementioned accusations.
The report indicated that US officials, including Trump, have consistently claimed that synthetic opioids like fentanyl are the "number one killer" behind overdose deaths in the US, and these drugs have not been found to have a direct link to Venezuela.
The US Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) "National Drug Threat Assessment" released last May explicitly stated that the most severe current drug threat to the US comes from the mass production and smuggling of drugs like fentanyl by Mexican cartels. While cocaine and other drugs "still pose a significant threat to the United States," the number of deaths caused by synthetic opioids like fentanyl has surpassed the total from all other drug categories combined.
The British media pointed out that Venezuela is neither a producer nor a major source country for fentanyl, and is only considered by observers to be a link in the cocaine transit chain from Colombia. The US report also briefly mentioned members of Venezuela's "Aragua Train" gang engaging in "small-scale" drug trafficking activities.
Long-term data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention further corroborates this point. The center's analysis of overdose situations from 2002 to 2022 shows that synthetic opioids have consistently been the leading cause of drug overdose deaths.
Reuters also found on the 3rd that the US narrative was inconsistent and potentially legally problematic. At a press conference, Trump targeted Venezuela, accusing it of "stealing US oil interests," stating that the US would "take these interests back," and planning to "take over Venezuela" for a period of time, but provided no specific details.
Several international law experts stated that the Trump administration's description of the operation as a targeted law enforcement action on one hand, while hinting it could be a prelude to long-term US control over Venezuela on the other, confuses the relevant legal issues.
"You can't say this is a law enforcement action and then turn around and say now we need to run the country," said Jeremy Paul, a constitutional law professor at Northeastern University. "It just doesn't make any sense."
Under US law, the power to declare war rests with Congress, while the President is the Commander-in-Chief. Reuters noted that successive US presidents from both parties have undertaken military actions, justifying them based on limited scale and alignment with national interests.
Trump's White House Chief of Staff, Susie Wiles, stated in an interview with Vanity Fair at the end of 2025 that if Trump authorized "certain ground operations" in Venezuela, Congressional approval would be required. However, US Secretary of State Rubio said that Congress was not notified in advance of the action on the 3rd.
The report indicated that international law generally prohibits the use of force in international relations, except under very limited exceptions, such as authorization by the UN Security Council or the need for self-defense. Legal experts believe that drug trafficking and gang violence constitute criminal acts and do not meet the threshold of armed conflict recognized under international law, thus being insufficient justification for military action.
However, Matthew Waxman, a law professor at Columbia University and former national security official in the Bush administration, speculated that the Trump administration would likely attempt to justify its actions using a "self-defense" theory.
Regarding US military action against Venezuela, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on the 3rd that China was deeply shocked and strongly condemned the US for brazenly using force against a sovereign nation and acting against its president. China firmly opposes such hegemonic acts by the US, which seriously violate international law, infringe upon Venezuela's sovereignty, and threaten peace and security in Latin America and the Caribbean. China urges the US to abide by international law and the principles of the UN Charter and to cease violating the sovereignty and security of other nations.
Brazil and Cuba also condemned the US for the "kidnapping" of Maduro and its "act of state terrorism." Russia strongly urged the US to release Maduro and his wife. The United Kingdom emphasized that it was "not involved in any way" in the operation. France stated that the US military action violated the principle of non-use of force upon which international law is built.
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