Image Credentials: Image Title: US Opens New Criminal Investigation Into Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Source: (chatgpt.com) Date: May 2026. Attribution: This image was created using AI-generated imagery (chatgpt.com) by Open Chronicle and does not depict a real-world scene.
By Open Chronicle with agencies
US federal prosecutors have reportedly launched a new criminal investigation into former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, according to a report by CBS News, marking another escalation in Washington’s long-running legal campaign against the former Venezuelan leader.
The investigation is being led out of Miami and comes months after Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured by US forces in Venezuela and transferred to New York to face charges connected to alleged narcotics trafficking and firearms offenses. Both have denied all accusations against them.
According to the report, senior officials at the US Justice Department ordered prosecutors to begin a separate case after concerns emerged that the original prosecution filed in New York may not be strong enough to secure convictions.
The new probe reportedly began around March and is being overseen by veteran prosecutor Michael Berger, who specializes in international criminal cases. The investigation also involves agents from the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division.
The latest legal effort follows the deportation to the United States of Alex Saab, a close Maduro ally and Venezuela’s former minister of industry and national production. Saab was indicted over his alleged role in a large-scale money laundering operation connected to a Venezuelan government food assistance program.
Finalmente, aquí tienen el rostro del mal, miren esa cara de miedo. Alex Saab ya está en los Estados Unidos bajo el control de la DEA.
Este hombre hizo su fortuna vendiéndole comida vencida en cajas de cartón a la gente pobre de Venezuela.
El último escalón de la moral humana. pic.twitter.com/7JmQ9STLzc
— Agustín Antonetti (@agusantonetti) May 17, 2026
Maduro was first targeted by US prosecutors in 2020 during the administration of former Attorney General Bill Barr, when he was named in a superseding indictment accusing him of involvement in narco-terrorism and drug trafficking activities.
US authorities have long accused senior Venezuelan officials of operating criminal networks linked to cocaine trafficking and corruption. Caracas has repeatedly rejected the allegations, describing them as politically motivated attempts to destabilize the country’s leadership.
The reported expansion of the investigation reflects continuing tensions between Washington and Caracas at a time of broader geopolitical instability across Latin America and amid ongoing debates in the United States over sanctions, migration, and regional security.
The Justice Department has not publicly commented in detail on the scope of the new Miami-based investigation.