Count Two expands the exposure further, charging an international cocaine importation conspiracy involving five kilograms or more of cocaine per transaction, a threshold that triggers the harshest federal penalties. Additional counts accuse Maduro and co-defendants of using and conspiring to use machineguns and destructive devices in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes, elevating the case into mandatory-minimum territory under federal firearms statutes.
If convicted on the narco-terrorism count alone, Maduro faces a potential life sentence. The cocaine conspiracy charges also carry mandatory minimum sentences of ten years to life per count, while the firearms counts expose him to consecutive sentences that cannot be served concurrently. In practical terms, a conviction across the charged counts would almost certainly result in life imprisonment in the federal system.
The indictment also contains sweeping forfeiture allegations. Prosecutors are seeking the seizure of any property derived from or used to facilitate the alleged crimes, including substitute assets if the original proceeds cannot be located. That provision allows the U.S. government to pursue assets worldwide up to the value of the alleged drug proceeds, even if they are held through intermediaries or third parties.
