[NY Times] Remember Noriega, Maricon? President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela was indicted in the United States on Thursday in a narco-terrorism and cocaine trafficking conspiracy in which prosecutors said he led a violent drug cartel even as he amassed power.The indictment of a putative head of state was highly unusual and served as an escalation of the Trump administration's campaign to pressure Mr. Maduro to leave office after his widely disputed re-election in 2018. Mr. Maduro has led Venezuela's economy into shambles and prompted an exodus of millions of people into neighboring countries.
Attorney General William P. Barr announced the charges on Thursday at a news briefing along with the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the top federal prosecutors in Manhattan and Miami.
Mr. Maduro condemned the charges, accusing the United States and its ally Colombia on Twitter of giving "the order to fill Venezuela with violence." He declared that he would not be defeated.
The United States no longer recognizes Mr. Maduro as Venezuela's president. Along with most of Venezuela's neighbors, the Trump administration has recognized the leader of the opposition, Juan Guaidó, as president since he declared himself the country's leader in January 2019. But Mr. Guaidó was unable to wrest power from Mr. Maduro, leaving Venezuela with two men claiming to be president.