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Ron DeSantis just dropped one bombshell that has Maduro facing a new nightmare

Jan 9, 2026

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Trump seized Maduro from Venezuela in a stunning military raid Saturday.

Now the dictator faces federal drug trafficking charges in New York.

And Ron DeSantis just dropped one bombshell that has Maduro facing a new nightmare.

Florida Eyes State Charges Against Venezuelan Dictator

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced Tuesday that the state is "looking very seriously" at filing criminal charges against Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.

Maduro was captured by U.S. forces in a Saturday morning raid on his compound in Caracas and dragged to New York to face federal narco-terrorism charges.

He pleaded "not guilty" Monday and called himself a "prisoner of war."

But DeSantis wants to make sure Maduro answers for crimes that directly targeted Florida.

"He was obviously very involved with bringing drugs, particularly to Florida," DeSantis told reporters in Clearwater. "You know what he would also do? And this is not in the federal indictment in New York — he would empty his prisons and send them to America across the border, and we'd end up with some of these people in Florida."

The governor zeroed in on the Tren de Aragua gang — violent Venezuelan criminals who were serving prison sentences before Maduro released them.

"Tren de Aragua gang members that were in prison there. And he did that. And so to me, that is a very hostile act," DeSantis stated.

DeSantis said Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier's office is reviewing state statutes on narcotics trafficking and laws about "importing" criminals into the state.

"We've had people in Florida that have been victimized by Tren de Aragua gang members," DeSantis explained. "And many of those people likely would not have been able to come here legally, even with Biden's open border, if Maduro had not been releasing people from prison."

The federal indictment focuses on Maduro's partnership with drug cartels and his role flooding America with thousands of tons of cocaine over 25 years.

But it doesn't address the deliberate release of violent gang members from Venezuelan prisons who crossed into the United States.

That's where Florida's case comes in.

DeSantis Has Done This Before

This wouldn't be the first time Florida pursued state charges alongside a federal prosecution.

When Ryan Routh tried to assassinate Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf course in September 2024, DeSantis immediately announced a state investigation.

He argued that the Biden Justice Department — which was also prosecuting Trump in two separate cases — couldn't be trusted to handle Routh's prosecution fairly.

"In my judgment, it is not in the best interest of our state or of our nation to have the same federal agencies that are seeking to prosecute Donald Trump leading this investigation," DeSantis said at the time.

Then-Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody filed initial state charges in December 2024 related to a car crash that injured a six-year-old girl during Routh's capture.

Then in April 2025, after Routh's federal conviction in September 2025, current Attorney General James Uthmeier filed additional state charges — attempted first-degree murder of Trump and terrorism.

Those state charges carried a potential life sentence on top of Routh's federal conviction.

DeSantis used the same playbook successfully before.

Now he's applying it to Maduro.

Democrats Can't Decide If They Want Maduro In Miami

Some Democrats actually agree that Florida should prosecute Maduro.

Robin Peguero, a former January 6 prosecutor running for Congress in Florida's 27th District, called for Maduro's trial to happen in Miami instead of New York.

"I called on the Department of Justice to bring Maduro to Miami," Peguero told reporters. "This is a community that has seen, you know, the worst of the cocaine trade. And a jury of his peers live here."

He argued Miami's Venezuelan-American community — the largest in the nation — should get to deliver justice against the dictator who destroyed their homeland.

"This is where a predominant number of Venezuelan Americans live who fled that country because of how horribly he was running it," Peguero added. "And so I think, this is the place where we should hold Maduro to account."

But other Democrats blasted Trump's raid on Venezuela as illegal.

Democratic Representative Darren Soto of Orlando praised capturing Maduro but criticized Trump for not seeking congressional approval first.

That "raises serious questions about the legality of the mission," Soto claimed.

He demanded congressional hearings on the raid.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer refused to give Trump credit and worried about "precedent."

"I did not receive any assurances that we would not try to do the same thing in other countries," Schumer complained.

Democrats spent years calling Trump "a threat to democracy" and a would-be dictator.

Now they're wringing their hands because he actually took down a real dictator who was poisoning American communities with cocaine and gang violence.

Florida Has A Strong Case

DeSantis argued that Florida has a unique standing to prosecute Maduro for the damage he inflicted on the state.

Florida is home to between 300,000 and 380,000 Venezuelans — more than any other state.

The cocaine Maduro helped traffic didn't just flow through Florida's ports.

It destroyed Florida families.

The Tren de Aragua gang members he released from prison didn't stay at the border.

They terrorized Florida communities.

"Many of those people likely would not have been able to come here legally, even with Biden's open border, if Maduro had not been releasing people from prison," DeSantis pointed out.

The federal government charged Maduro with narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and weapons offenses.

Those charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.

But Florida could bring charges specifically tied to the gang violence and drug trafficking that hit the state's communities directly.

DeSantis teased the possibility Monday on social media before making it official Tuesday.

When an X user asked if Florida charges were coming, DeSantis replied: "Stay tuned…"

House Speaker Mike Johnson said he expects Venezuela will hold new elections now that Maduro is gone.

But first, the dictator needs to answer for his crimes.

Trump brought him to New York to face federal justice.

Now DeSantis wants to make sure he faces Florida justice too.

And this time, there's no "prisoner exchange" that's going to save him.

Sources:

  • Kimberly Leonard, "DeSantis says Florida looking 'very seriously' at bringing state charges against Maduro," Politico, January 6, 2026.
  • Forrest Saunders, "DeSantis signals Florida could pursue state charges against Nicolás Maduro," WTXL, January 6, 2026.
  • Jeffrey Schweers, "DeSantis seeking to charge Maduro under state immigration laws," Orlando Sentinel, January 7, 2026.
  • Brooke Chau, "From New York to Miami? DeSantis raises prospect of Florida charges against Maduro," WPTV, January 6, 2026.
  • Alanna Durkin Richer and Larry Neumeister, "How cocaine and corruption led to the indictment of Maduro," ABC News, January 4, 2026.
  • Jeffrey Schweers, "DeSantis breaks silence on Maduro's capture, arrest and indictment," Orlando Sentinel, January 5, 2026.

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