All articles tagged with #maduro
On Cuban Independence Day, the White House honors Cuba’s founding ideals, denounces the Havana regime, and announces new sanctions that sever financial lifelines to Cuba’s military and intelligence apparatus following the January capture and extradition of Maduro, while reaffirming US solidarity with Cuban-Americans and a future free Cuba.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio wore a gray Nike Tech fleece tracksuit aboard Air Force One during a trip to China, a casual look that sparked a wave of memes comparing him to Nicolás Maduro and highlighting the online focus on fashion over diplomacy.
Master Sergeant Gannon Ken Van Dyke of the US Army Special Forces is charged with using confidential government information to profit from bets on Nicolás Maduro’s removal via Polymarket, allegedly cashing out about $400,000 after Maduro's capture; prosecutors say he concealed his identity, moved funds through crypto and a foreign vault, then to a brokerage, while running a Fort Bragg-based real estate business and an Airbnb retreat and facing separate insider-trading allegations in a CFTC suit.
President Trump orders U.S. forces to shoot at Iranian mine boats in the Strait of Hormuz as talks linger, while saying there’s no rush to a deal; a U.S. Army master sergeant is charged with using classified information to place bets on Maduro’s removal, netting over $400,000; a Baton Rouge mall food court dispute leaves one dead and five injured; the DOJ's inspector general launches an audit of Epstein file releases; Trump unveils a plan to renovate the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool; and Fernando Mendoza is picked first overall in the 2026 NFL draft.
A soldier linked to the Maduro raid allegedly used insider information to place bets on the crypto-based Polymarket, netting about $400,000; the case highlights risks of political events being exploited on prediction markets.
A U.S. Army specialist at Fort Bragg has been charged with insider trading after allegedly using classified, nonpublic information about the Venezuela raid that captured Nicolas Maduro to place bets on Polymarket, earning about $409,000; the DOJ and CFTC accuse him of unlawful use of government information, theft of nonpublic data, commodities and wire fraud, with Polymarket cooperating and investigators pursuing the case.
U.S. Army Master Sgt. Gannon Ken Van Dyke was indicted in SDNY on charges including unlawful use of confidential government information, theft of nonpublic information, commodities and wire fraud, and money transactions from unlawful activity after allegedly betting on Maduro’s removal with Polymarket ahead of a raid announcement, netting more than $409,000. Prosecutors say he used classified information to place bets and tried to conceal his identity; Polymarket cited cooperation with the DOJ. Van Dyke, a Joint Special Operations Command communications specialist, was on active duty since 2008 and stationed at Fort Bragg at the time.
A U.S. special forces soldier involved in the Maduro raid was arrested for allegedly profiting from the operation by betting on Polymarket, netting about $400,000 as prosecutors investigate the wager; Maduro was transported to New York to face federal drug-trafficking charges, with ABC News reporting the probe.
A Manhattan judge urged Treasury's OFAC to revisit a license that would let Venezuela pay Nicolás Maduro's legal fees, saying the right to defense is paramount even under sanctions; Maduro and his wife Flores are charged with drug trafficking, and the judge warned he might dismiss the case if the license is denied, though he said he won't.
US prosecutors say Maduro and his wife cannot use Venezuela’s government funds to pay for their legal defense in a New York narco-terrorism case, citing sanctions and alleged plunder of national wealth; the defense argues dismissal is premature and emphasizes the right to counsel. Judge Alvin Hellerstein indicated the right to defense is paramount and will rule later, with no bail or trial date set.
A federal judge in New York refused to dismiss the narcotics indictment against Nicolás Maduro and his wife, allowing the case to proceed. Defense arguments that the U.S. blocked access to Venezuelan government funds for their representation were not sustained, with the judge saying a ruling on funding would come later. Prosecutors also sought a protective order to limit discovery sharing with co-defendants at large. Maduro and his wife have pleaded not guilty and are detained as the high-profile case heads toward trial amid outside demonstrations.
Nicolas Maduro, the deposed Venezuelan leader, is being held in a high-security ‘SAMs’ unit at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center under special administrative measures that restrict outside contact while he faces narco-terrorism and drug-trafficking charges; his wife is in a separate unit, and Maduro has pleaded not guilty. The SAMs unit, refurbished after MCC Manhattan’s closure, houses up to 12 inmates with 24-hour surveillance and limited recreation, and his lawyers are seeking dismissal amid licensing disputes with OFAC.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio testified in the trial of ex-congressman David Rivera, who is accused of secretly lobbying for Maduro’s Venezuela to ease sanctions; Rivera and co-defendant Esther Nuhfer allegedly earned a $50 million contract from a PDVSA subsidiary to influence Rubio and other officials. Rubio, who says he has not been involved, noted their long friendship but denied any role in the scheme. The case marks the first time a current cabinet member testified in a U.S. criminal trial since 1983.
During a White House event, President Trump said he expects the 'honor' of taking Cuba as part of a broader hawkish foreign-policy push, noting Cuba's weakness while continuing the Iran conflict and engaging with Havana after Maduro's capture.
Maduro and his wife were jailed in New York and face a drug-trafficking indictment. The U.S. Treasury blocked authorization for the Venezuelan government to pay Maduro's legal fees after an initial license granted by OFAC, a move their lawyer says interferes with his Sixth Amendment right to counsel and highlights ongoing tensions in U.S. policy toward Venezuela ahead of a March 17 hearing.