DeSantis eyes state charges for Maduro

Betting markets seem pessimistic about the federal case.

By Ben Whedon

Published: January 6, 2026 1:43pm

Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., on Tuesday suggested that his state may bring charges against ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro amid federal proceedings in New York.

American forces extracted Maduro from Venezuela over the weekend. He has pleaded not guilty to federal charges related to drug trafficking and insists he is still the legitimate president of Venezuela. DeSantis, for his part, opined that the Venezuelan drug cartels were involved in drug trafficking in his state and that he could theoretically face charges from Tallahassee as well.

“He was obviously very involved with bringing drugs, particularly to Florida,” DeSantis said, according to Politico. The governor further pointed to the refugee crisis and Maduro's practice of emptying his prisons to send criminals to the United States.

Betting markets seem pessimistic about the federal case, with Polymarket assigning a mere 39% chance of the government securing a conviction on all counts.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.