FROM CRISIS TO CAPTURE: A COMPLETE CHRONOLOGICAL ACCOUNT OF NICOLÁS MADURO’S ARREST AND THE WORLD’S RESPONSE
The story begins in March 2020, when the United States Department of Justice unsealed a criminal indictment against sitting Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and more than a dozen current and former Venezuelan officials on charges including narco-terrorism, drug trafficking, money laundering, and corruption. U.S. prosecutors alleged Maduro’s government conspired with armed groups like Colombia’s FARC to ship large quantities of cocaine toward the United States, and the U.S. offered rewards for information leading to his arrest. This marked a rare moment in which a sitting head of state was criminally charged by U.S. courts and set the stage for ongoing legal pressure. Over the next years, U.S.–Venezuela tensions steadily escalated. Maduro’s government, already criticized internationally for undermining democratic institutions and presiding over severe economic collapse and humanitarian distress, became further isolated. In early 2025, Maduro was inaugurated for a third president...