US Expands Criminal Investigation Into Nicolas Maduro With New Florida Probe

The U.S. Justice Department is reportedly pursuing a second criminal investigation into former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, increasing the likelihood that he could face additional federal charges in the United States. According to sources familiar with the matter, the investigation is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Miami and has been underway for several months.

The new probe focuses on potential money laundering allegations tied to Maduro and his inner circle. Officials said the investigation was already active when former President Donald Trump authorized the January military operation that resulted in Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, being captured in Caracas. Maduro, 63, and Flores, 69, were later transferred to the United States following the operation.

The Justice Department has not officially commented on the ongoing investigation, and Maduro’s legal team has yet to issue a public response. While it remains unclear whether the Miami-based investigation will lead to formal charges, the case could provide prosecutors with an alternative legal path if complications arise in Maduro’s existing federal case in New York.

Maduro is currently facing narcoterrorism conspiracy charges and other drug trafficking-related offenses in federal court in Manhattan. The indictment, originally filed in 2020, accused the former Venezuelan leader of collaborating with criminal organizations involved in cocaine trafficking. Maduro has pleaded not guilty and is currently being held in a Brooklyn detention facility while awaiting trial.

The expanded investigation comes amid broader U.S. efforts targeting Maduro allies and regional political figures. The Miami federal office recently unsealed money laundering charges against Maduro associate Alex Saab. Authorities are also reportedly preparing charges against former Cuban President Raul Castro related to the 1996 downing of planes operated by a Cuban exile organization.

Analysts say the developments signal intensified cooperation between U.S. and Venezuelan authorities under acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez, potentially reshaping diplomatic and legal relations between the two countries in 2026.