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How a Food Program Fueled Venezuela’s Organized Crime
Delcy Rodríguez’s silent dismantling of a subsidized food program shutters a scheme that epitomized the intersection of organized crime and the Venezuelan state. The apparent discontinuation of…
The US military arrested Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores in their home in Caracas on January 3 in a surprise operation that shocked the world. Maduro and Flores were taken to the United States, where they face “narco-terrorism” charges.
How will Maduro’s removal and prosecution impact Venezuela‘s criminal landscape and groups, and the criminality embedded in its hybrid state?
This special series covers the fallout from this seismic development, including reporting, analysis, and in-depth profiles of the criminal actors and dynamics now facing an uncertain future.
Articles in this Series
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Criminal Profiles
Nicolás Maduro
The former president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, oversaw the consolidation of a hybrid state in which governance and criminality became deeply entwined, transforming the country into a regional hub for organized crime. After taking office following Hugo Chávez’s death, Maduro expanded relationships with armed groups and illicit networks to repress political opposition and secure streams of illicit revenue, embedding corruption within the state apparatus.
Criminal Profiles
Cartel of the Suns
The Cartel of the Suns is a term used to describe groups within Venezuela’s armed forces implicated in a wide range of criminal activities, including gasoline smuggling, illegal mining, and other corruption schemes – most notably drug trafficking.
Criminal Profiles
Tren de Aragua
Tren de Aragua is Venezuela’s most powerful homegrown criminal actor and the only Venezuelan gang that has successfully projected its power abroad. It has grown from its origins as a prison gang into a transnational threat with a wide criminal portfolio.
Criminal Profiles
Diosdado Cabello
Diosdado Cabello is a powerful Venezuelan political figure accused of involvement in drug trafficking and corruption. Since the arrest of then-President Nicolás Maduro on January 3, 2026, Cabello is one of the top Chavista leaders still in power.
See all our Venezuela coverage
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