U.S. prosecutors have been running a second criminal inquiry into formerly incumbent Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, according to a Justice Department official and another person familiar with the matter. That investigation is being led by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Miami and has been active for several months, the two sources said on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing probe.
Officials say the Miami probe was active at the time President Donald Trump ordered U.S. special forces to carry out the raid in January that resulted in Maduro, 63, and his wife, Cilia Flores, 69, being captured. The second investigation has at times focused on potential money laundering allegations, the second source said.
A lawyer for Maduro and a Justice Department spokesperson did not immediately reply to requests for comment. A U.S. media outlet previously reported on the existence of the Miami-based investigation. It remains unclear whether the Florida probe will lead to new charges against Maduro.
Maduro is already facing a separate criminal case in federal court in Manhattan. That indictment includes narcoterrorism conspiracy and other counts related to alleged drug trafficking. Maduro has pleaded not guilty to those charges and is being held in a Brooklyn jail while awaiting trial.
The New York indictment, which was first filed in 2020, was cited by U.S. officials as the legal basis for the January special forces operation in Caracas that removed Maduro from power. Sources indicate the Miami inquiry could serve as an alternative avenue for prosecutors should complications arise in the New York case.
In March, President Trump suggested that Maduro would face additional charges in the United States, remarks that align with ongoing investigative activity in more than one federal jurisdiction.
Separately, the same U.S. Attorney's Office in Miami unsealed money laundering charges on Monday against Maduro ally Alex Saab. That office is also expected to bring charges on Wednesday against former Cuban President Raul Castro over the 1996 downing of planes flown by a Cuban exile group, according to sources familiar with planned actions.
Observers note that Saab's arrest and deportation have been interpreted as signaling a higher degree of cooperation between U.S. and Venezuelan law enforcement under acting President Delcy Rodriguez, who previously served as Maduro's vice president.
Reporting note: Several details in this article derive from law enforcement and Justice Department officials who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of ongoing investigations.