It's not justVenezuelan leader Nicolás Maduroand his wife, Cilia Flores, listed in the Trump Administration'sdrug trafficking indictment.
Maduro's son, Nicolás Maduro (Jr.) Guerra, 35, is a defendant, too. Guerra, who is member of Venezuela's National Assembly, is also known as "Nicolasito" or "The Prince," according to the indictment.
Guerra, born to his father's first wife, Adriana Guerra Angulo in 1990, began assisting in drug operations as early as 2014, according to the indictment. A deputy in his father's government, Guerra was seen by many as a successor of theChávismo movement, the socialistic ideology established by Venezuelan Pres. Hugo Chávez.
Guerra confirmed his father and the first lady were captured by the U.S. as part of a "colonial military aggression" to get Venezuela's oil and mineral resources, according to news aggregation siteNoticias Argentinas. He issued a state of emergency and called for "armed struggle" to combat the aggression.
Reactions to the United States' bombing of Venezuela and capture of the country's president Nicolás Maduro ranged across the world. Some celebrated the operation while others rebuked Trump's intervention in the South American country. See the reactions in photos, beginning here with Venezuelans living in Chile celebrating in Santiago on January 3, 2026." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
See reactions after US explosions in Venezuela, Maduro capture
Reactions to theUnited States' bombing of Venezuela and capture of the country's president Nicolás Maduroranged across the world. Some celebrated the operation while others rebuked Trump's intervention in the South American country. See the reactions in photos, beginning here with Venezuelans living in Chile celebrating in Santiago on January 3, 2026.
Trump: US will 'run' Venezuela:President discusses aftermath of strike: Live updates
Who is Nicolás Maduro Guerra?
After Nicolás Maduro became president in 2013, Maduro appointed his only son, Nicolás Maduro Guerra, as the "Head of the Corps of Special Inspectors of the Presidency," according to the indictment.
Four years later, Guerra was elected to the Venezuela's National Constituent Assembly, and in 2021, he was elected to Venezuela's National Assembly, where he continues to hold office, the filing says.
Before joining the government, Guerra learned to play the flute in the National System of Youth and Children's Orchestras of Venezuela, according to Ecuador'sLa República. At the National University of the Armed Forces he studied economics.
Guerra and his wife, Grisel, has two daughters, according to the Venezuelan news outletEl Estimulo reported.
What does the Trump administration say Maduro's son did?
Guerra assisted in a drug operation starting in 2014 in which his plane "would be loaded, sometimes with the assistance of armed sergeants, with large packages wrapped in tape that the captain understood were drugs," according to the indictment. Once loaded, the plane "could go wherever it wanted, including the United States," the filing says.
and helped ship "hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Venezuela to Miami" in 2017," the court filing says.
About 2020, Guerra met with two representatives of the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) in Medellin, Colombia to discuss "arrangements to move large quantities of cocaine and weapons through Colombia andinto the United States over the course of the next six years," the filing says.
Mike Snider is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him atmikegsnider&@mikegsnider.bsky.social&@mikesnider& msnider@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Who is Nicolás Maduro Guerra, Maduro's son? What to know