The wife of Nicolás Maduro, Cilia Flores, has been accused of conspiring with high-ranking Venezuelan officials to traffic hundreds of tons of cocaine to the United States, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ). The allegations include accepting bribes that facilitated drug trafficking flights and orders for assassinations.
This announcement coincides with the execution by the Donald Trump administration of Operation Absolute Resolution, aimed at capturing Maduro in Caracas. Flores allegedly led a criminal organization known as ‘El Jardín de Flores’, which rewarded her associates through drug trafficking routes and state contracts.
The WSJ also notes that members of her family secured lucrative deals with the Venezuelan state oil company and participated in drug transportation from Caracas International Airport. During the second hearing before the Southern District Court of New York, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Wirshba accused Flores and Maduro of “looting the wealth of Venezuela.” In the first hearing on January 5, both pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking and money laundering charges.
Additionally, it is alleged that Flores received bribes amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars to facilitate meetings between drug traffickers and Venezuelan anti-drug officials. According to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, her family was also involved in obtaining contracts in exchange for bribes.
