The American president addressed the matter during Thursday's cabinet meeting. He believes former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro should face further criminal charges for his alleged role in sending illegal immigrants to the United States.
“He emptied his prisons in Venezuela, he emptied his prisons and sent them to our country and I hope that this charge will be brought at some point because it is a serious charge that has not yet been brought and should be brought,” Trump said, speaking about the Maduro trial.
“He's been caught and I believe he's getting a fair trial. But I imagine there are more lawsuits coming because they actually sued him for just a fraction of what he did,” the American leader added. “Other issues will be broader, as you probably know,” he added.
- Trump puts NATO to the test. “He wants us to suffer the consequences of his failure.”
Trump has long maintained that the deposed Venezuelan leader intentionally brought the worst criminals and mentally ill people to the US. He did not support these claims with specific evidence.
Trump on contacts with Maduro's successor. “Amazing Relationships”
The American president assured on Thursday that his relationship with Maduro's successor, Delca Rodriguez, is “amazing.” At the same time, he joked about the possibility of replacing her as president of Venezuela.
— I am the person with the highest support in the polls in Venezuela. In other words, after the presidency, I think I can go to Venezuela and run for president against Delca, Trump said.
Maduro's trial in a court in New York
Nicolas Maduro appeared in court in New York for the second time on Thursday on previously filed narcoterrorism charges. The preliminary hearing before the trial begins is led by 92-year-old Judge Alvin Hellerstein.
The Maduro case is of great interest. To secure a place in the courtroom, the first people waiting, including numerous press representatives, appeared in front of the court building at 6 a.m. Both supporters and opponents of the former Venezuelan leader gathered in front of the building on Thursday.
Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores are accused of ordering kidnappings, beatings and murders of people who were in arrears with drug payments or questioned their smuggling activities. According to AP, the charges include: murder of a drug lord in Caracas. If found guilty, the defendants face life imprisonment.
