US: Venezuela’s President Maduro charged in New York with drug trafficking crimes

• US authorities indicted Venezuela's Maduro on charges of narco-terrorism, offers up to $15m reward for information.
• Tensions between the US and Venezuela likely to rise. 

The President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro and several key aides were indicted in the US on charges of narco-terrorism. The department accused them of conspiring with Colombian rebels "to flood the United States with cocaine".

The State Department would offer rewards of up to $55 million for information leading to the arrests or convictions of Maduro and four of his associates, announced Secretary Mike Pompeo. In a statement he added that "while holding key positions in the Maduro regime, these individuals violated the public trust by facilitating shipments of narcotics from Venezuela, including control over planes that leave from a Venezuelan airbase, as well as control of drug routes through the ports in Venezuela".

The indictment represents an escalation in the effors of the Trump administration toward Maduro. The Venezuelan leader accused the US and Colombia of giving “the order to fill Venezuela with violence.” 

Reaction in crude oil 

The WTI barrel was not affected by the report. The WTI barrel stands at daily lows near $23.00, down 4.30%, unable to benefit from the rally in Wall Street.