>> ALL RIGHT. CHIEF JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT PIERRE THOMAS, THANK YOU SO MUCH. AARON KATERSKY, OUR CHIEF INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT HAS BEEN FOLLOWING THIS.
YOU'VE BEEN LOOKING AT ALL OF THESE CHARGES BECAUSE THEY WERE UNSEALED EARLIER TODAY. THESE ARE CHARGES THAT GO BACK TO 2020. BUT NOW WE ALSO HAVE A SUPERSEDING INDICTMENT.
>> WE DO. AND IT CHARGES NOT ONLY MADURO BUT ALSO HIS WIFE AND SON WITH SITTING ATOP A NARCO TERRORISM CONSPIRACY THAT FEDERAL PROSECUTORS HERE IN NEW YORK ALLEGE PUT TONS OF COCAINE ONTO AMERICAN STREETS WHILE ENRICHING AND CORRUPTING MADURO AND HIS CLOSE ALLIES. AND AT LEAST TWO OF THEM ARE CHARGED.
AND FEDERAL PROSECUTORS ACCUSED THEM OF WORKING WITH SOME OF THE MOST DANGEROUS AND VIOLENT DRUG TRAFFICKERS, INCLUDING MEMBERS OF THE SINALOA CARTEL, ONCE RUN BY JOAQUIN GUZMAN, KNOWN AS EL CHAPO, AND THE FARC REBELS WHO OPERATED IN COLOMBIA PRODUCING A LOT OF THIS COCAINE. BUT BUT GEO. OSTENSIBLY, THIS WAS AN OPERATION TO EXTRACT SOMEONE LIKE MADURO, WHO'S INDICTED ON ALL OF THESE CHARGES.
BUT AS YOU HEARD FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP IN HIS REMARKS A SHORT WHILE AGO, IT SEEMS HE HAD GREATER AMBITIONS THAN JUST MAKING SURE MADURO FACED THESE CHARGES IN A NEW YORK CITY COURTROOM. >> AND WE HEARD SECRETARY OF STATE MARCO RUBIO THERE AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE TALK ABOUT THE FACT THAT IT WASN'T JUST THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, BUT THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION ALSO HAD MADURO ON A WANTED LIST. >> WELL, HE HAD BEEN FACING THESE CHARGES SINCE 2020.
THEY'VE BEEN EXPANDED NOW. THE TIMELINE HAS CAUGHT UP TO THE PRESENT DAY, ACCORDING TO THE SUPERSEDING INDICTMENT. SO HE HAD BEEN WANTED IN THE UNITED STATES AT LEAST SINCE 2020.
SECRETARY RUBIO SAID IT WAS UNDER PRESIDENT TRUMP'S DIRECTION WHERE THE US MILITARY WAS FINALLY ABLE TO GO IN AND GET HIM. AND HE SAID THAT SHOULD SEND A MESSAGE TO OTHERS WHO MAY BE LIKEWISE POSITIONED. THE PRESIDENT, THOUGH, DREW A LINE AGAINST JUAN ORLANDO HERNANDEZ, THE FORMER PRESIDENT OF HONDURAS, WHO FACED VERY SIMILAR DRUG TRAFFICKING CHARGES WITH MUCH OF THE SAME LANGUAGE.
BUT HE SAYS THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION GAVE HIM A RAW DEAL. AND THAT'S WHY TRUMP DECIDED TO PARDON HERNANDEZ LAST NOVEMBER.
