Maduro Faces Narcoterrorism Charges, Precedent at Stake

0:00On March 26, Austin Venezuelan leader Nicholas Maduro returns to court on Thursday facing serious charges, including narco terrorism. The 63-year-old ran the country from 2013 until U.S. Special Forces grabbed him in Caracas on January 3rd. He pleaded not guilty to everything just two days later. This narco terrorism charge comes from a 2006 law aimed at drug schemes tied to terrorism. But of 83 people charged under it over 20 years, most pleaded guilty or are still at large, but only four cases reached trial. Two of those convictions got tossed due to shaky witness testimony. Prosecutors face a tough road proving Maduro knowingly helped drug traffickers who funded groups like the FARC labeled terrorists by the U.S. until. Recently, Maduro's team caused the whole thing a political attack while experts warned the law demands airtight evidence on that terror link. Meanwhile, two former Venezuelan generals, indicted with him, have already pleaded guilty

1:01to a FARC-related crimes. One recently said he's willing to testify against Maduro, though only if prosecutors dropped demands he admit to drug dealing, which he denies. The case also includes other drug conspiracy counts, with a 20-year minimum for narco terrorism alone. Whatever happens next, it could set a big precedent for cracking down on top-level narco