Federal prosecutors are conducting a second criminal investigation targeting former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, potentially setting the stage for additional charges against the deposed leader, according to a Justice Department official and another source with knowledge of the matter.
The Miami-based U.S. Attorney’s Office has been running the investigation for several months, both sources revealed, speaking anonymously due to the ongoing nature of the probe.
According to the Justice Department official, the Florida investigation was already underway when President Donald Trump authorized the military operation that resulted in the capture of Maduro, 63, and his wife, Cilia Flores, 69, this past January. The other source indicated the probe is focusing on possible money laundering violations.
Neither Maduro’s legal representative nor a Justice Department spokesperson provided immediate responses to requests for comment.
CBS News initially broke the story about the Florida-based investigation. Whether this probe will result in new charges remains uncertain.
Maduro is currently facing narcoterrorism conspiracy charges and other drug trafficking-related offenses in Manhattan federal court. He has entered a not guilty plea and remains detained at a Brooklyn correctional facility while awaiting trial.
The Manhattan indictment, which was initially filed in 2020, served as the legal basis for the U.S. special operations raid in Caracas that removed Maduro from power in Venezuela.
The Florida investigation could provide the Justice Department with an alternative prosecution path should legal challenges arise in the New York proceedings. In March, Trump indicated that Maduro would be facing additional charges in the United States.
The Miami U.S. Attorney’s Office on Monday revealed money laundering charges against Alex Saab, an associate of Maduro. The same office is anticipated to file charges on Wednesday against former Cuban President Raul Castro related to the 1996 shootdown of aircraft operated by a Cuban exile organization.
The arrest and extradition of Saab indicates increased cooperation between American and Venezuelan law enforcement agencies under acting President Delcy Rodriguez, who previously served as Maduro’s vice president.
