CLEARWATER, Fla — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says the state may pursue unprecedented criminal charges against ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. He cited alleged narcotics trafficking, gang violence and immigration impacts that he argues have affected Florida.
DeSantis raised the possibility Tuesday while speaking in Clearwater, though no timeline or formal action has been announced.
WATCH: DeSantis signals Florida could pursue state charges against Nicolás Maduro
“Potentially, a state case against Nicholas Maduro,” DeSantis said.
DeSantis argued Maduro’s actions as Venezuela’s leader had direct consequences for Florida, including the spread of transnational criminal gangs.
“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, 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 said.
Any potential prosecution, DeSantis said, would be handled by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier’s office. The attorney general’s team has not commented on whether a case is actively being pursued.
The governor’s remarks come as Washington debates what comes next following President Donald Trump’s ouster of Maduro, with congressional leaders divided over the implications.
“Look, I expect that there will be an election called in Venezuela,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer raised concerns about broader precedent.
“I did not receive any assurances that we would not try to do the same thing in other countries,” Schumer said.
Florida has previously pursued state charges alongside federal prosecutions. One recent example involved Ryan Routh, who prosecutors say attempted to assassinate Trump while he was golfing in South Florida in 2024. Routh was convicted on federal charges in September and faces sentencing next month.
Maduro is already facing a federal indictment in New York, and it remains unclear whether Florida could or would bring similar state charges. No timeline has been announced.
Still, some Democrats say a Florida trial could be appropriate, particularly in South Florida.
“I called on the Department of Justice to bring Maduro to Miami,” said Robin Peguero, a former Jan. 6 prosecutor now running for Florida’s 27th Congressional District.
Peguro said Miami would be the right venue.
“This is a community that has seen, you know, the worst of the cocaine trade,” he said. “And a jury of his peers live here. This is where a predominant number of Venezuelan Americans live who fled that country because of how horribly he was running it. And so I think, this is the place where we should hold Maduro to account.”
For now, the next legal steps are expected to unfold in New York as the federal case moves forward, while the prospect of a Florida prosecution remains unresolved.
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