Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Conversation
The Conversation
Eduardo Gamarra, Professor of Politics and International Relations, Florida International University

The ‘drug threat’ that justified the US ouster of Maduro won’t be fixed by his arrest

This isn't going to stop in the U.S. just because Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was arrested. Floris Leeuwenberg, Corbis Documentary/Getty Images

Donald Trump has flagged Venezuelan drug trafficking as a key reason for the U.S. military operation on Jan. 3, 2026, that captured President Nicolás Maduro and whisked him to New York to face federal drug charges.

Trump has described Maduro as “the kingpin of a vast criminal network responsible for trafficking colossal amounts of deadly and illicit drugs into the United States.”

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.